tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33538497861084462722016-12-08T05:19:11.658+00:00ShamSports.comInternational &amp; NBA Basketball data and analysisMark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-33492422898622817602016-08-14T12:47:00.000+01:002016-08-14T22:51:55.392+01:00Team USA: Basketball Gods Lacking MiraclesThe United States of America national basketball team so far has been doing pretty well in the Olympics: they‘ve won three out of the three matches that they‘ve had so far, promptly demolishing China and Venezuela and managing a more difficult victory against Australia. Now they’ve got two more European opponents to play until the QF – but the dream team is a bit short in the dream department, or so it seems this far.<br /><br />While victories against China and Venezuela came predictably easily, it was a whole different story when Australia’s team had to be faced. The third game was definitely a tough nut to crack for the Americans, and they couldn’t be sure of a consecutive win until the very last minute of the match.<br /><br />Andrew Bogut’s quip on Australians being fully capable of beating USA caused quite a reaction amongst the fans. Many of them were very sceptical and it caused more than a few comments full of ridicule. However, there was a small percentage that took Bogut’s words to heart – probably because of the sheer intensity that the teams displayed during their duel.<br /><br />Australia did manage to crush one of the group’s favourites France and Serbia – so it wasn’t like Bogut was talking purely out of nationalistic pride. What about the national USA team? At a first glance, their gameplay may seem pretty ideal and their track record – spotless, however, those who know well how this team plays, must have realised that it looks pretty different this time around.<br /><br />Americans are known for putting up a show and having a very precise way of playing – and those are the main arguments for their ongoing basketball domination. We’re used to seeing them demolish their opponents in style – just take a look to the Dream Team of 2008 or 2012. Now we’re not seeing as much of aggressive defence leading to rapid attack.<br /><br />Counterarguments may come with the fact that the team is without the greatest nation’s players – LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard or LaMarcus Aldridge. But we didn’t see the best of the best in 2014 World Cup, either.<br /><br />Playing with a “second” team, Americans won every single game and the worst advantage was against Turkey - 77:98. Everyone watching could admire the silent determination of Mike Krzyzewski‘s squad – the defence was so intense that often the opponent‘s attack would be ended with a rebound, and counter-attack was finished with an immaculate speed and precision. That was, of course, solidified by the performance of Kenneth Faried, Anthony Davis, James Harden and Stephen Curry.<br /><br />While neither China nor Venezuela could act as barometers of the potential that the Olympic favourites could go on to reveal, Australia was the team to put their current abilities to a good test. Going by the outcome of the matches that these teams had, it is pretty safe to assume that the strongest Olympic teams may very well come as tough challenges for the star-studded USA team. However, the UK-licensed bookie <a href="http://tonybet.com/" target=_blank>TonyBet</a> is confident in their success – <a href="https://tonybet.com/betting-categories/rio2016!" target=_blank>the odds for their gold are at 3/100.</a><br /><br />So did team USA slacked off with their preparation? Well, knowing the usual reserve that they have and the lesson that they have learned in the past, we can expect Mike Kryzezwski’s army to shine when it will be needed the most and get back to their intense defence, nimble attack, unparalleled individual skill and impeccable teamwork. That would prove that team USA, just like the others, get better after active participation in the tournament. Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-51911703044613439452016-06-08T15:16:00.000+01:002016-07-29T16:55:26.224+01:00NBA Finals: X Games until TriumphTwo games in to the finals, and the Golden State Warriors are two victories and 48 points ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The dominance that the GSW are exhibiting is literally historic – the biggest advantage in two games achieved before this was six points shy of their truly exuberant record. So, does this mean that the Cavs are doomed already?<br /><br />Well, it may not be as simple as that. Even though if we were to judge the fate of the Cavaliers by the first two games, there is still a chance that they will turn up their game – after all, GSW won both fixtures at home. The <a href="https://tonybet.com/">TonyBet</a> bookies, however, wouldn’t bet on the Cavs: <a href="https://tonybet.com/betting-categories/nba">the odds for their triumph are 7.00</a> against just the 1.12 that the Warriors got.<br /><br />On the other hand, these two upcoming matches in Cleveland may very well shake up this competition a little bit and give it a taste of intrigue it has been lacking so direly. Golden State Warriors were better at home – they have only lost two games in Oracle Arena as opposed to seven on the road. Obviously, that’s still some very impressive stats – but beating them somewhere away from Oakland is easier, it seems.<br /><br />Still, it is very telling that GSW have started with a 2:0 series even without as much contribution as usual from their leading men. Steve Kerr has taught his men well – and it did show, for example, in the first game, where neither Stephen Curry nor Klay Thompson didn’t play as well as they normally do – and the team still got out with a 104:89. Even in the following game it was only Draymond Green who managed to score more points than his usual average – and GSW still won 110:77.<br /><br />The Cavs aren’t lacking the talent – even though they may not be able to continue counting on Kevin Love who will potentially have to skip a game or a few – LeBron James isn’t to be discounted just yet, and if Kyrie Irvings will play as well as he did in the first game, all hope is not lost yet. Add the fact that the Cavs too play better at home – and here’s your recipe for a potential win right here. However, it would be a bit naïve to forget that GSW did win seven games straight against their upcoming opponents and that they do manage to win even without fully relying on their leaders.<br /><br />Could this end in a triumphant, but ultimately predictable 4:0 Golden State Warriors’ series win? That really isn’t out of the question, but then again the Cavs could still potentially turn the tables around (hey, even Curry didn’t win the three-point contest in All Stars this year, although it seemed like a no brainer). Even if they don’t manage to win the whole League, they could put up a good fight – and make it all that more fun to watch for us all. <br />Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-63263793618049778712015-07-09T23:40:00.001+01:002015-07-09T23:40:58.789+01:00Complete History Of NBA Luxury Tax Payments, 2001-2015This website and its sole proprietor keep a spreadsheet containing to-the-dollar information on all luxury tax paid to date, updated annually. Here is the latest update.<br /><br />In the 14 seasons since the luxury tax was created, it has been applicable in twelve seasons; in twelve eleven seasons, 26 NBA franchises have paid over $1.1 billion in payroll excess. The exact details can be found here. <br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/media/TAX2015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://data.shamsports.com/media/TAX2015.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sorted alphabetically - click to enhance.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/media/TAX2015B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://data.shamsports.com/media/TAX2015B.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sorted by expenditure - click to enhance.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />(Orange cells denote the team that won the championship that year.)<br /><br />Please use the spreadsheet freely for resource purposes, and feel equally free to suggest any improvements. However, please do not just take it, and if you do cite its data somewhere, please acknowledge its source. While the content is not my IP, I did spend a long time sourcing the relevant information, and in return, I seek only credit and a few page hits for that. Thank you.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-84316474630534108532015-07-04T23:47:00.001+01:002015-11-14T19:28:35.642+00:002015 NBA Summer League Rosters - Brooklyn<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2869"><b><font size="3">Darius Adams</font></b></a><br /><br />A 6'2 scoring guard, Adams is trying to emulate David Logan and go from Division 2 Indianapolis right to the highest levels of professional basketball. And he's doing a bloody good job of it. In fact, he's already done it. A scoring machine, Adams has worked his way to the Spanish ACB in three short years after graduating. He led Division 2 in scoring as a senior with 23.2 points per game, followed it up with 18.9 points per game with Guaiqueries in Venezuela, followed that up with 19.3 points per game in the Ukraine with Kryvbasket, followed that with 18.0 points per game with Bremerhaven in Germany, and followed that up with 18.3 points per game with Nancy in France. There aren't many more levels to go up after that - Nancy were a Euroleague team this year - and after a mid-season move to the ACB and Laboral, Adams is now knocking on the NBA's door. Adams is not just a scorer - he's also a high assist guy, a very good rebounder for his size, and a decent defender with great hands. He's streaky as a shooter and takes some bad ones, but such hot streaks can be extremely hot, and although he is small and does little at the basket, his energy and dynamicism make him a pest on both ends. Adams is fast, athletic, energetic and relentlessly aggressive, and he is becoming one of the better American point guards not in the NBA. Be prepared for a LOT of turnovers, however.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2705"><b><font size="3">Cliff Alexander</font></b></a><br /><br />From this year's NCAA power forwards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>An out and out post player, Alexander was something of a disappointment as a freshman, which is a little unfair given that no one ultimately can control the expectation of others but which nonetheless speaks to his underwhelming season, in which he showed distinct limitations.<br /><br />Alexander has a strong frame with a good amount of muscle on it for one so young, and although he is not much of a run and jump athlete, he is not a stiff. His very long arms make up for being a couple of inches short of ideal in height, and he can outmuscle pretty much all the competition, particularly on the glass. The physical profile is quite established. <br /><br />The skill set isn't. Alexander looks a bit bewildered in the post, has no handle and very little jump shot away from it, misses a lot of shots (his only consistent offensive tool is the dunk), shows little skill with his off-hand, and has little offensive poise or awareness. He also shows little defensive poise or awareness, being little help on the perimeter and either getting lost or jumping needlessly on the perimeter. At this point he's a rebounder and opportunity scorer, and given that he is not especially explosive (Alexander dunks a lot, but has to gather himself to do it), the skills are going to have to develop quite a lot to overcome the current problems.<br /><br />As a general rule, early declarations should not be frowned upon, given the backwardness of the NCAA model. In Alexander's case, however, it might have been in his best interests. Some continuity and intense skill development is needed. Alexander will make money anyway, but the big money will elude unless things change.<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2494"><b><font size="3">Khem Birch</font></b></a><br /><br />From last year's power forwards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Birch is an exceptional rebounder, one of the best there is and that there can be. He also averaged an enormous 3.8 blocks per game, again about as good as there can be. He hustles and scraps, tracks the ball off the rim, rebounds outside of his area, rebounds over people, and has the length and athleticism to compete with anybody. Birch's thin frame lacks for strength and he can be boxed out, but he can grab the rebound anyway, and will certainly try to. Around the basket, he will swat whatever he can around the rim, has good timing and anticipation, and of course gets up very quickly. In two of the most big man-ny big man areas, Birch is extremely productive.<br /><br />Everything else is less of a sure thing. On offense in particular, Birch is markedly underskilled, creating almost nothing in the post, not shooting a jump shot with any consistency, not making his foul shots with any consistency, and indeed not even making layups with any consistency. He runs the court, hustles and dunks, but it's opportunistic only and he's plenty subdueable. With his physical profile, Birch should forgo trying to be a post-up player and become a dominant pick-and-roll presence, but he is a long way short of this, and the guards he plays with can only partially be at fault. Birch's offense is underdeveloped to the point that spacing and screen, real fundamental skills, aren't even comfortable for him. The same can be true of his defense; Birch's physical tools allow him to mask many mistakes, but there are many mistakes of the positional and staying-in-front sense. There is an awful lot to do, and Birch is very much a project still.<br /><br />That said, look at those rebounds. Look at those blocks. Look at that athleticism. Don't look at the bits he can't do; look at the bits he can do that can't be taught. Look at the lack of character concerns that go with it. Is that not worthy of a second round pick and a slow developmental process?</blockquote><br />Turns out it wasn't; Birch went undrafted and, although he signed a camp contract with the Miami Heat that even included a little bit of guaranteed money, he never made an NBA roster. Birch instead spent the year with the Heat's affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and took full advantage of the D-League's high pace with averages of 11.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in only 24.5 minutes per game. My views from before still apply - Birch is not skilled, but he doesn't especially need to be. As rebounders and opportunist scorers go, I'd take him over Alexander.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2150"><b><font size="3">Ryan Boatright</font></b></a><br /><br />From this year's NCAA point guards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Boatright is dynamic, but not with any great control. He is fast, with a very tight handle, aggressive and fearless, and relentlessly attacking the rim. But he struggles to finish when he's there, and he takes some poor shots along the way. Boatright is quite a good shooter, especially good with a step-back, but he overfancies himself and can stop the ball at times. And while he can play close, tight, pressing defense, he can also overhelp and gamble recklessly.<br /><br />Shooting a very good pull-up shot, Boatright is a half court scoring option on every trip and a dynamo in transition, but his unreliability and excessive shot taking negates some of that. Boatright's blazing speed and great leap make him one of the better athletes on this or any list, but his tiny frame and short arms make him one of the smallest players on this or any list. Boatright can get to the rim without a screen going right, but struggles to get there even with one when asked to go left. Boatright can pass on the move, drive and kick, and drive and dump off, but he rarely finds a role man and is often driving to shoot. He has great agility and body control, but is really, really small. Some of that stuff can be fixed. Some can't.<br /><br />Polarizing.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2182"><b><font size="3">Markel Brown</font></b></a><br /><br />From last year's NCAA guards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Brown's athleticism is as good as anybody's. He is a cannon in transition, a seriously dynamic player who absolutely flies down the court and who isn't afraid of contact. Brown runs the court at every opportunity and has learnt how to use this athleticism - by leaking out, cutting off the ball and playing defense, rather than by trying to do everything with the ball.<br /><br />This is important, because in terms of ball skills, Brown is lacking. Despite all the athleticism, he doesn't have the greatest first step when driving with the ball, in large part because his handle is not good enough to keep up with his feet. He lacks advanced ball handling skills in terms of hesitation dribbles, changes of direction and the like, and although he is developing in this area, Brown lacks the handle that a 6'3 guard would ideally have. At that size, one would expect a guard to be able to play some point, but Brown rarely does - forced into doing so in the absence of Marcus Smart, Brown was not especially reliable at getting the ball over half court, and showed little in the way of playmaking ability other than to start the endless series of perimeter passes.<br /><br />Brown's abilities and upside lie elsewhere. As a defensive player, he has every physical tool required; recovery speed, strength, long wingspan and, pleasingly, a penchant for blocks. These tools also allow him at times to be able to get to the basket without using a pick, and he has developed over the years an understanding of the timing and angles involved in when to make such attacks. He also has some projectable ability as a shooter. Utilising a good shot fake and with an incredibly high leap on his shot, Brown has improved his catch-and-shoot jumper to being perfectly adequate, and is already a good mid-range shooter. He rarely shoots off of curls or screens (despite often using both for getting to the basket), which if developed would be a new string to his bow.<br /><br />At times, Brown drifts and gets lazy on defense, undermining his physical prowess. And at times, despite his increased offensive IQ and skills, he forgets the fact that he's the kind of player who can split double teams, dive off the ball, attack the basket and finish through contact, and instead tries to shoot through everything. But on his game, Brown is an NBA player. And if he can develop the defense to an elite level, whilst also developing enough of a handle to fill in at point or enough of a shot to be a capable higher volume shooter - or both - he might stick around for a while. He hasn't the ideal size for <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=14"><b>Tony Allen's</b></a> job, but then many of these same things were once said about Tony Allen, too. Allen learnt his role and embraced it. So must Brown.</blockquote><br />He was certainly given the opportunity to be that Tony Allen clone by the Nets last year, recording 781 minutes and 29 starts in the regular season, although barely featuring in the playoffs. Brown gave some youth, athleticism and dynamicism to a team that sorely lacked for those qualities, and has plenty of moments defensively. He was extremely tough to place offensively, however, passing up jump shots, missing many others, driving to nowhere and losing the handle too regularly. Brown's athleticism is elite and his defense pretty good, but pretty good will have to become elite for him to break out. The Nets really need the exact type of player Brown could be, and a pairing of him and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson could be a spectacular wing defensive pairing. But it will also be a terribly spaced unit unless Brown can improve his catch-and-shoot game.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1112"><b><font size="3">Earl Clark</font></b></a><br /><br />Clark is now 27. This should be his prime. And yet here he is, back in summer, once again trying to get back in the NBA after a season on its very fringes. The man whose calling card was the fact that he "does so many things" continues to struggle to find a place in the bigs on account of not doing any one particular thing. Occasional shooting and good passing vision for his size are not proving enough, and now in his late twenties, it's getting tougher. There are better shooters to use as stretch bigs, and there are younger unpolished 6'10 athletes.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2868"><b><font size="3">Deshawn Delaney</font></b></a><br /><br />Delaney is a very athletic wing with good size and length, who was given the opportunity to score at New Mexico last year due to a severe dearth of options, but who didn't really take it. He did score some - 11.7 points per game in 29 minutes, on 49.5% shooting with a 37.2% three point stroke - but he didn't assume the role of go-to guy, despite one being sorely needed, as he just hasn't that mindset or skill set. Delaney's offense suffered from unaggressive periods when his team needed someone to step up, and moments of reckless abandon when going to be the basket. His offensive instincts in the half court are still behind the curve. That said, there are plenty of tools in the shed - the physical profile (athlete, dunker, good length and speed), coupled with a decent three point catch-and-shoot shot and a mid-range pull-up. Although only a decent defender despite his tools, Delaney has the tools of a three-and-D role player at the NBA level with his athletic profile, set shot and ability to disrupt on the perimeter. He does however have to prove he can do the latter two to a higher standard and higher frequency, as others have proven themselves ahead of him.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2484"><b><font size="3">Josh Gasser</font></b></a><br /><br />From this year's NCAA shooting guards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Gasser was the token gritty glue gumption guy for Wisconsin for four years, whereby his intangibles and hustle and effort and face and whatnot embodied the Wisconsin way and totally justified the fact that he had almost no production. Tat statement is simultaneously facetious yet indisputable; Gasser never seemed to do anything, but things rarely went as well when he wasn't in.<br /><br />Gasser averaged as-near-as-is 6.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assist in 33 minutes per game as a senior. In 4,774 career minutes for the Badgers, he totalled 1,025 points, 575 rebounds and 284 assists. As is evident, he didn't receive 4,774 minutes because he was productive. Rather, a large part of the reason was what he <i>didn't</i> do. With a better than a 2:1 career assist/turnover ratio, Gasser never did anything he couldn't do, shooting efficiently from downtown (40.2%) on low attempts, being judicious with every shot and dribble. He moved the ball on, fed the post and endlessly if completely unincisively swung the ball around the perimeter, which is exactly what he meant to do. Similarly, Gasser's main virtues came defensively where, despite being not fast, big or athletic, Gasser played tough as old boots and made himself a very good on-ball perimeter defender. A high IQ system player on both ends with great effort and anticipation, Gasser is leaving the place that was absolutely perfect for him.<br /><br />The only players to have made the NBA with a comparable resume were <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1516"><b>Chris Kramer</b></a> and <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=945"><b>Mario West</b></a>, and while West stuck around for a few years in a ridiculously specialist role, Kramer never got out of camp. Gasser might not even get that far, as it will be tough if not impossible to look beyond the fact he really did only average 6/3 in 33 minutes. Kramer at least had athleticism. Nevertheless, Gasser can make some money in Europe, and having the NBA on your resume is quite the boost for that.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2571"><b><font size="3">Kendall Gray</font></b></a><br /><br />From this year's NCAA centres list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Gray made a name for himself right at the end of his senior season with a 33 point, 30 rebound game against Coppin State in one of his final collegiate games. It was the culmination of consistent improvement in this area of the game, as Gray's rebounding rate developed significantly throughout his career. As a freshman, he tried to block everything, recording 3.2 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game but rebounding only 4.8 times in that time. But as a senior, while still blocking 2.8 times per game, Gray grabbed 11.8 rebounds per game, second in the nation behind only UCSB's <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2586"><b>Alan Williams</b></a>. Decently sized for the paint and decently mobile so as to be able to rebound outside of his area, Gray boxes out on everything, and uses great timing rather than explosiveness to swat shots at the rim and track the ball coming off of it.<br /><br />The Coppin State game, however, was also a bit of an outlier. Gray struggled with fouls and fatigue quite a bit down the stretch of the season, and didn't record a double double over his final four games (the Coppin State outing was therefore his last one). Despite the appearance of being an automatic double double, Gray wasn't that, struggling with consistency and seeing his production taper off quite significantly. The Gray who likes to run the court and pursue the ball was a step slower, and without that motor, Gray does not stand out.<br /><br />There is some offensive skill to his game, however. The staple of Gray's scoring game is a mid-range jump shot, added to which he has the ability to put the ball on the floor and drive on close-outs from that area. Gray's offensive game is almost entirely from the mid-range area facing up; he creates little in the post, shows little in the way of moves, and hasn't the core length or strength to ever be particularly strong in this area. He also shows little inclination towards trying to seal position for a pass over the top or dump-off down around the basket, is prone to standing around on offense, and without any great strength or explosiveness is not the best finisher around the rim. Yet in addition to shooting from the mid-range area, Gray is also a capable and willing passer from there, hitting cutters and throwing good high-low passes when the opportunity presents itself. He is a defense-first player, but he is not an offensive liability.<br /><br />Gray is quite mobile, but certainly not explosive, and quite big, but not powerful. He runs without moving his arms (which is weird) and does not use any tools especially to succeed. Much of what he does is through instincts and timing rather than explosiveness, and through having size and athletic advantages at the Delaware State level he won't have any longer. There are holes in the skill set and there's doubts as to how well the good bits will even translates. That said, <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=236"><b>Dwayne Jones</b></a> played many years in and on the fringes of the NBA with a similar skill set and body of work; slightly bigger and more athletic, maybe, but less offensively skilled. Rebounding generally translates, and a stint in the D-League (where, in the right spot, he could readily average double digit boards again) will put him in the conversation.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1582"><b><font size="3">Steven Gray</font></b></a><br /><br />This will be the fifth summer that Gonzaga guard Gray has tried to make the NBA, and although he was able to get one training camp contract from the Washington Wizards in 2012, he has yet to make a regular season roster. Gray has spent the last three years of his career in France, and last season averaged 16.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in French league games with Dijon. Included in that was 42% three point shooting on more than seven attempts per game, as well as a 40% three point shooting stroke in 16 Eurocup contests. This is not an outlier; Gray is always a good jump shooter, from mid-range and out, off the catch and off the bounce. Gray also makes good reads on defense, anticipates well and shows a decent effort level on this end. He would be a very projectable three-and-D wing role player were it not for a lack of physical tools. With below average size for the NBA shooting guard position and without the great length or athleticism to make up for it, Gray has entirely the right skill set for the job, but not quite the optimum size. If he can shoot it well enough, this may not matter.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2412"><b><font size="3">Austin Hollins</font></b></a><br /><br />Lionel's son is here after spending the first season of his professional career in the French second division with Denain. For Denain, Hollins averaged 8.5 points in 17.9 minutes, shooting 40.3% from three point range, whilst also making three pointers be the vast majority of his offense. From last year's seniors list;<br /><br /><blockquote>Playing alongside his nakesake Andre at Minnesota, Lionel's son had to shoulder more of an offensive burden as a senior than perhaps best suited him. The Golden Gophers were suitably short of offense that Hollins's 12.4 points per game actually led the team, yet being a leading scorer is not what Hollins is good at. Hollins does not create like a primary offensive creator, nor does he have the tools for being so. He has neither the explosive foot speed, nor the intricate handle, nor the jumpshot to be so. What he is is a solid combo guard and role player.<br /><br />Hollins is a good athlete with a long wingspan who is fairly consistent in his production and effort, but who lacks stand-out offensive skill. He can hit a few three pointers, but without the greatest natural rhythm or a high volume of looks, Hollins's jumpshot is only an occasional weapon, one shot better off the catch than off the dribble. Despite decent wingspan and athleticism, Hollins is not much of a slasher, favouring the jump shot and never proving consistently able to get to the rim when defended man to man. <br /><br />However, the fact that Hollins was never a go-to player should not discredit the value he brought as a role player. With decent tools, timely scoring, good extra passing, unselfishness and enough of a shot to be a threat, Hollins had subtle but key benefits to the Golden Gopher's offense, and was also a decent and consistent defensive player, despite often having to defend wings much bigger than he. Hollins led the team to an NIT championship, the best all-around player on the team who always took on the challenge, even when he was ill-suited for it.<br /><br />To make the higher levels of the European game, Hollins will have to improve some facet of his game so that it is a discernable strength, something on which he can hang his hat. That facet will likely be the shot. If he can up his percentages and also add more shooting outside of just catching and raising up, he could be a role player at a high standard of professional basketball.</blockquote><br />The uptick to a 40% three point shooting mark sounds like a good start towards that. But going from a bench role in the French second division to the NBA is a huge ask, no matter who you're related to. Hollins still needs to prove he can be a volume three point shooter.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2347"><b><font size="3">Rondae Hollis-Jefferson</font></b></a><br /><br />From this year's NCAA small forwards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Hollis-Jefferson is not a shooter. Indeed, he's almost a non-factor as one. Aside from, if we're being generous, a fairly consistent 12 footer, Hollis-Jefferson is little other threat on the jump shot, and does not have much potential in this area with his current form. He does at least shoot 70.7% from the foul line, which is not bad, aided by a quite contrived wiggle in his pre-shot routine. But the wiggle can't be adapted to the jumper, and so a wiggle-less RHJ is able to be entirely left alone from the perimeter.<br /><br />Every other part of the game, however, has plenty of potential. Strong, long, fast and athletic, Hollis-Jefferson defends multiple positions and plays with great energy on the defensive end. He plays hard on the offensive end, too, but his skill is underdeveloped - lacking a jump shot with range (as mentioned above), demonstrating little in the way of ball-handling ability, not posting up, and not in any way creating much offense other than by running the court. Hollis-Jefferson is also not the best finisher when he does get looks at the basket that aren't dunks, although he does attack defenders looking for contact, and does at least create these opportunities through cuts and hustle. But in order to be a slasher, he has to develop his handle beyond being the straight line driver that he is now, and improve his awareness so as to not barrel in recklessly.<br /><br />The defensive end is the calling card and likely always will be. Always with great energy, Hollis-Jefferson stays in front, bodies up, uses his length and reading of passing lanes to recover for blocks, and has a knack for clean stripping drivers. He stays in front of smaller guys and smothers them on the perimeter, closes out quickly and with his hand up, and bodies up the bigs with core strength that it does not look like he has. In theory, RHJ can defend every position - that makes him a 3 by default in the NBA, as do his measurements, but a small forward with defensive versatility to go both bigger and smaller is exactly the type of small forward the NBA wants.<br /><br />These improvements are required more than desired for Hollis-Jefferson, if he is to stand out from the Julian Wright types that have gone before him, players did not develop these skills and found themselves soon out of the league for the next crop of the same type of player who might. The idea of a multi-positional, defensive-mind, transition-and-cutting athletic presence is nonetheless a nice one. Hopefully RHJ keeps up the intensity and is exactly that.</blockquote><br />However, a discussion of Hondae-Jefferson here is incomplete without a discussion of the trade that sent him to Brooklyn. On draft night, the Nets acquired his rights along with <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=410"><b>Steve Blake</b></a> from Portland in exchange for <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1591"><b>Mason Plumlee</b></a> and the rights to <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2180"><b>Pat Connaughton</b></a> (41st pick). Disregarding Blake, who is irrelevant to the talent part of the trade and was included purely to match salary, the trade is Plumlee and Connaughton for RHJ. And no matter what anyone may think of RHJ, it's an extremely valid question to ask why Plumlee's value was deemed so low. Plumlee is athletic, rebounds very well in traffic and has potential (if not yet all that much effectiveness) as a paint protector. It is duly noted that he was somewhat stuck behind <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=971"><b>Brook Lopez</b></a>, a man with whom he pairs very badly, and that although the aim would be to have both Plumlee AND Hollis-Jefferson, the Nets hadn't the assets elsewhere to make that possible. Yet Plumlee has been an effective NBA centre for two years, in an ugly yet sustainable way, and is both cheap and capable. Very capable, in fact. So why is his value considered to be that of a #23 pick? And why on Earth was Connaughton added?<br /><br />Nonetheless, RHJ is here now. He is, sans the spacing issue, what the Nets need, and a player with a lot of potential. If he lives up to some of it, Connaughton's bizarre inclusion won't matter. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2163"><b><font size="3">Cory Jefferson</font></b></a><br /><br />From last year's NCAA power forwards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Jefferson's distinctive characteristic is trying to tear the rim off. He is a mostly scrappy offensive player, benefiting more from cuts to the basket, transition and put-back opportunities than shot creation from the post or off the dribble, but when he gets a ahead of steam and a lane to the basket, he dunks as explosively as anybody. Jefferson has an NBA body and NBA athleticism, and he proves it at any opportunity.<br /><br />There is skill to go with it, especially in the form of a mid-range jumper that is becoming quite consistent. A scrappy high IQ player with good shot selection, Jefferson can utilise this jump shot in pick-and-pop plays or when turning around from the post, and he is also starting to add occasional three point range to that. Thriving in pick-and-roll play, Jefferson struggles to make more than about two dribbles or driving anywhere other than in a straight line with the ball in his hands, but when given a straightish line, he is plenty capable of finishing the play. Although he lacks badly for assists or any playmaking skills for others, this is not something that should be held too much against Jefferson, an unselfish player with limitations but who knows exactly where they are and who is incredibly efficient in what he does do. He attacks the contact, gets to the line, and creates offensive purely through his physicality, effort level and athletic prowess. Defensively, although Jefferson somewhat lacks for much strength or great lateral quickness, he projects to be able to defend perimeter bigs at the professional level if he can improve his footwork, and he has sufficient awareness to take quite a few charges.<br /><br />Always bouncy, Jefferson is hard to ignore, and hard to subdue. He has NBA talent, and will stick if he can add consistent outside range to what he already has.</blockquote><br />Jefferson showed he belonged in his first NBA season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game and making few mistakes on the way. His athleticism is plenty translatable on defense - it matters not that he hasn't the strength to defend the post, as not many of the opponents he will play against do either these days - and although he is prone to overhelping, he can recover. Jefferson already demonstrates a pretty good mid-range catch-and-shoot jumpshot, and although he was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUxLs0QXQ0E" target=_blank>responsible for a spectacular airball last year</a>, the three point range should follow soon.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2244"><b><font size="3">Akil Mitchell</font></b></a><br /><br />From last year's NCAA power forwards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>As a senior, Mitchell completely lost the free throw stroke he had built up to mediocrity as a junior, and his 42.7% shooting from there made him a liability. He rushes the release on the shot and snatches aggressively at it, and has absolutely no rhythm on it nor any jumpshot. Given what an offensive liability he became from the line, this also affected his minutes, and as good as Virginia was last season, Mitchell had to watch some of it from the bench, averaging only 25.7 minutes per game.<br /><br />Mitchell nonetheless played a big role for the Cavaliers, mostly defensively and on the glass. He is a good leaper with a high motor, who returns a very good rebounding rate and embraces his role as a dirty worker. He uses this motor in a similar fashion on the defensive end, where, despite an average amount of lateral quickness that his jumping ability rather masks, and despite a lack of optimum size for post defense, he nevertheless contests on everything. Mitchell hedges hard on pick and roll actions and can stay in front of driving big men, but he can be blown past on closeouts given that he does not change direction too quickly, and sometimes those pick and roll hedges are a little too hard. He nonetheless moves his feet as best he can, has some shot blocking timing around the rim, and is a nuisance defensively if not a lock-down player at any position.<br /><br />There is occasionally some offense from Mitchell, who is not Reggie Evans out there. He runs the court hard and can finish around the rim if set up, throwing a little spin to a righty hook if impeded and going straight up if not. He has not the best footwork, has very little handle, has even littler of a jumpshot and travels a bit, but his sprightliness and cuts to open spots give him a purpose offensively, and he stays within that role. Players who recognise their limitations and play within them are always fun to be coached, and Mitchell is so capable of and willing to embrace his interior role playing status that he has made it all the way up to this level. But at 6'8 and 230lbs-ish, anything further is a long shot.</blockquote><br />Mitchell spent his first professional season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League, averaging 9.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game. The free throw stroke still hasn't come back, as he shot 48.9% from the line, and although Mitchell took 41 three pointers on the year after taking only 11 his entire college career, hitting only 9 of them doesn't make him a stretch threat. Not yet, anyway - another year of working on that, like Eduardo Najera once did, and Mitchell's in the frame.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2704"><b><font size="3">Jayvaughn Pinkston</font></b></a><br /><br />From this year's NCAA power forward's list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Jayvaughn Pinkston improved considerably throughout his collegiate career without it being all that evident in his production. He arrived at Villanova with hype and talent, but not much idea of what to do with it. And after a fraught beginning, he left as a reliable, versatile senior who contributed in many ways.<br /><br />As a senior, Pinkston dispensed with much of the face-up game that had rather burdened him until that point, Pinkston always played as though he wanted to be a face-up player, a shooter and a driver, but he was never especially good at these things, and his continued insistence on trying was helping neither himself nor his team. He was not nearly as good of a ball handler as he thought he was, and while he took the open threes he was given, hitting them at 26% is precisely why he was given them. But as a senior, Pinkston mostly stopped all this, re-engaged himself with the post, venturing outside only really to run pick-and-roll action. <br /><br />This is not to say that Pinkston is the greatest option in the post - he lacks athleticism and hasn't the greatest range of moves, and is not a consistent halfcourt option for every trip inside. But with his strength, Pinkston is very hard to stop from getting position, and he creates the angles for feeds well. Finishing mostly with his right hand, Pinkston has a hook shot and good feet, barrels in and attacks contact. He can isolate down low or get open in the flow, and although his lack of explosion limits him a bit, the ton of fakes he uses down low can create a bit of separation from his defender. He draws doubles from the defense, and notwithstanding some lazy passes, he kicks the ball out of the post fairly well.<br /><br />Elsewhere, Pinkston's lack of speed and explosion limit him on the glass, and he struggles to clear the defensive boards or rebound out of his area. This is not helped by a reluctance (or constantly forgetting) to box out. Yet his defensive awareness probably improved even more than his offensive one did. Without great leap or length, Pinkston made an impact defensively by getting position, using his strength on the interior, and taking quite a few charges for a man of his size. Pinkston's perimeter defense still needs work, as his footwork does not keep him in front of the play enough, but he provides quite a good amount of help defense without fouling, and rotates well. Pinkston's lack of size and speed is probably not an NBA combination, but the total package of skills will work somewhere.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2238"><b><font size="3">Juvonte Reddic</font></b></a><br /><br />From last year's NCAA power forwards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Reddic was the big man in VCU's havoc press, and as such can correctly be assumed to have some good perimeter defensive skills for a big man. Be in on switches or traps, Reddic moves well on the perimeter and also makes good reads, recording a good amount of steals for a de facto power forward and able to stick with the opposing guards. Athletic and agile, Reddic overrotates at times, but has good recovery speed, making him very much a pest in this aspect of the game.<br /><br />The problems come on the interior, where Reddic doesn't do his work early enough. He has some strength on his frame, but does not do much with it, not being tough enough on the interior nor consistently boxing out on the glass. A power forward in name only, Reddic is not one for the power and physicality of the interior, and never has been a paint or post protector.<br /><br />Offensively, Reddic's main skill is the offensive rebound, at which he is much better (and seemingly more interested) than defensive rebounding. He contributes a few different things on offense - some pick-and-roll play, an occasional mid-range jump shot (including a turnaround from the post), occasionally stepping out and being able to take slower defenders with a two-dribble drive from that area. None of it is especially consistent, though, and although Reddic looks fairly smooth in his offensive moves, he simply misses quite a lot of shots. Reddick does little in the post and is only effective from there in opportunistic situations, and although he is very good at the putback, he has little in the way of reliable halfcourt offense.<br /><br />In total, then, Reddic is a perimeter player on defense and only an interior player on offense, without being particularly effective at the latter. That's a tough combination to place. If he develops a more consistent shot with better range, then the skills he already have combined with his physical tools make Reddic a potentially very solid stretch four. As it is, he's somewhat limited.</blockquote><br />Reddic's first professional career was spent with two Italian teams, Pesaro and Bologna, averaging 9/5 in 22 minutes for the former and 7/4 in 15 for the latter. He remained a distinctly poor defensive rebounder, however, and this may be his area of most immediate concern.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2870"><b><font size="3">Jonathan Simmons</font></b></a><br /><br />Since leaving Houston in 2012 with averages of 14.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg as a senior, Simmons has been in the US minor leagues, firstly the ABA and then the last two years with the Austin Toros/Spurs of the D-League. He enjoyed a decent spike in minutes last year, and averaged 15.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 33.8 minutes per game. Although that isn't actually that much in the high scoring D-League - as evidenced by a 13.6 PER - it's plenty solid enough, and came on percentages of 49.4%/39.8%/75.0%. Simmons is prone to mistakes, driving into trouble, losing the ball, throwing it away, and overfavouring his right hand. But at 6'6, athletic and contributing a little in all facets of the game, Simmons has some assets that would make him an NBA role playing wing. It would benefit him greatly to prove he can be a high volume three point shooter, as, although an efficient one, this has yet to happen.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2276"><b><font size="3">Xavier Thames</font></b></a><br /><br />From last year's NCAA point guards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Thames is a high scoring combo guard who is essentially best as a half court driver. Inside the lane, he uses subtle fakes and hesitations to create spacing and looks, and can either get to the basket or shoot a pull-up. Thames gets to the line a lot, welcoming contact and able to draw it through his craft, as well as owning a useful floater for the occasions he is up against true length. He uses both hands to both handle and finish, and although he has little flair, he has good body control and positional awareness to be able to find and expose seams in the defense.<br /><br />What Thames does not excel at is being able to take that ability to penetrate in the half court and turn it into being able to find looks for team mates. He does not often kick out to shooters when on the drive, nor does he drop off to the big men; he's driving to score, and seems to lack the vision to do more than that. Thames has some point guard abilities, able to find a roll man in pick-and-roll action and very secure with the ball, smooth and safe, but he does not move a defense much. <br /><br />Outside of the arc, Thames is less effective, as his three point stroke has never been that good. For all his understanding of time and score, of when to carry the scoring load and when to step up, Thams lacks much in the way of dynamicism, being all craft rather than flair. That said, Thames can carry his team for stretches through this craft. Lacking great speed, Thames makes up for it on offense with reliability and an unflappability in the face of defensive pressure, and copes with it on defense with good anticipation, hands and rotations. <br /><br />A lead guard at the college level, Thames is harder to peg at the NBA level. A bit like Nolan Smith before him, Thames is either big but slow for a point, or small and a bit slow for a two, with a skill set that resides somewhere between the two. Most aspects of his game are solid, but none are spectacular, which begs the question as to what role Thames fits. "Just a guard" is fine in theory, but what's his role in a half court offense, and who does he defend? A very good shot creator and defender at the college level, neither projects that well. Thames is good, very good, but might be better suited for Europe.</blockquote><br />Europe is where Thames did indeed go, signing with Sevilla in Spain, but he struggled quite a bit. Averaging only 3.4 and 0.8 assists in 15.4 minutes per game of ACB play, Thames returned to American part way through the season and finished up with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants averaging 7.3 points and 2.1 assists in 19.7 minutes per game. Thames isn't a shooter, a microwave, a half court breaker-downer or an athlete, so not only is he stuck on the fringes of the NBA, but he's also beholden to a team he really does not fit. The very things the Nets need, the very things <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=326"><b>Jarrett Jack</b></a> doesn't have, nor does Thames.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2836"><b><font size="3">Juan Vaulet</font></b></a><br /><br />Despite having very little in the way of picks, the Nets gave up two future second round picks to Charlotte for the rights to Vaulet, drafted 39th. Had Vaulet fallen two more spots, they might have picked him at #41 instead of Pat Connaughton, kept the two seconds, kept Miles Plumlee and not traded for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. But regardless, Vaulet's here now.<br /><br />Playing last year for Bahia in his native Argentina, the 19 year old Vaulet averaged 16.9 minutes, 7.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.4 blocks per game, shooting 50.5% from the field, 66.7% from the line and 10% from three point range. Bahia lost to Penarol in the quarter finals of the Argentinian league, and Vaulet had a big role to play in that; after barely playing to start the season, Vaulet was a key contributor by the end, recording 24 minutes and 13 points in the game five loss in the championship series. Aside from the occasional goose egg - everyone has the occasional goose egg - Vaulet routinely contributed every time he was given minutes, and was the bright spot in an uncompetitive season for the team.<br /><br />Argentina haven't had much potential come through since the demise of the great era, but the new era is being blooded in as we speak, Vaulet represents one of the more athletic prospects they have had for a while. He is not a shooter, as evidenced by the 10% three point shooting, and seems to release the ball while still on the way up, which isn't good for his rhythm. He is distinctly raw still on the defensive end, lost at times and overplaying people, but not out-toughed. Indeed, his toughness is a virtue, as is his physical profile. Without being a run and jump athlete necessarily, Vaulet is more spry and nimble, laterally quick and with a tremendous motor. He is fast with and without the ball and is always pushing it, the team entrusting the youngster to make plays in the full court, demonstrating the awareness, handle and step-through to be able to get to the rim. A very willing (if too willing) help defender, Vaulet has great recovery speed, timing and anticipation, and if he is prone to mistakes in man to man and isolation defense, there is no reason to assume this will stay the case. He is raw but not hugely so - the skill set has holes in it, most obviously the jump shot, but the poise and IQ is there, as are the tools. It was odd of Vaulet to declare (and stay declared) so early, but it has worked out, and he is one worth monitoring.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Ben Vozzola</font></b><br /><br />Vozzola is an odd addition here, a much travelled player who played for four colleges in five seasons and <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ben+vozzola&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1242&bih=585&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=AxiQVdLaLNKP7AbQt6CgBw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&dpr=1.1" target=_blank>seemingly scowled in every one of their team photos</a>. After two years and precisely 10 minutes at San Diego, Vozzola transferred to Cowley County commuunity college for one year (averaging 9.4 points per game), transferred back to Division 1 with Cal State Northridge for his junior campaign, averaged 2.9 points in 33 games, and then transferred to NAIA school St Catharine as a senior. There, he averaged 15.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, but a lot of players average that much at the NAIA level, and roughly none of them get NBA looks. Why has Vozzola (apparently) got an invite to Nets camp? No idea, but fair play to him. Here's some tape.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V9Fdwiqkx-o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-19824465519914299332015-07-04T20:29:00.000+01:002015-11-14T19:27:28.518+00:002015 NBA Summer League Rosters - L.A. Clippers<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2410"><b><font size="3">Branden Dawson</font></b></a><br /><br />From this year's NCAA small forwards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Dawson is a power forward in a shooting guard's body, which of course makes him a small forward by default. He is undersized but explosive, and capable of defending inside and outside. Capable in various matchups, Dawson can match up at the two, three and four positions, and is a physical specimen, combining athleticism with strength and a wide, wide frame.<br /><br />Normally defending the post, Dawson gets by on defense despite the height disadvantage with this strength and with great discipline. He might be smaller than most opponents, but he is almost always stronger and more athletic than they are, and his long arms help make up for some of the difference. Dawson grabs tough rebounds and is measured in his aggression, and has good anticipatory skills and positional awareness. This does not negate the size disadvantage, but it surely helps a lot.<br /><br />Offensively, Dawson has developed a little bit of a mid-range shot, but it's not pleasant looking, and he has absolutely no three point range at the moment. With little handle to speak of either, Dawson is entirely a finisher and not a creator, not even down low in the post. Rarely getting to the line (and shooting dreadfully when he does), Dawson is an opportunistic offensive player who gets by through transition, cuts, offensive rebounds and hustle. Yet when he does get such a look, he tears the rim off. This is pretty much all he does on offense, but it's both fun and useful.<br /><br />Dawson, then, is limited to only a couple of areas of the game, but is extremely effective within them. If he can spot up a bit and keep the energy up, he could stick in the league for a while.</blockquote><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1897"><b><font size="3">Diante Garrett</font></b></a><br /><br />Garrett spent last season in the D-League, trying to make it back to the NBA in which he had spent the bulk of the previous two seasons. He started with the Iowa Energy and averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 36.5 minutes per game, then was traded to the Grand Rapids Drive in exchange for Willie Reed, and averaged 11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 23.0 minutes per game there. Garrett shot 40.4% from three point range across those two stints, and has found his niche as a player; a big combo-with-point-tendencies guard with a good wing span and defensive effort, who hits open jump shots and makes relatively few mistakes. Whether he has the athleticism to make it back to the NBA is another matter - not able to get beyond the first line of the defense much, Garrett's upside at the NBA level is limited, and now aged 26, others may have the advantage.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2078"><b><font size="3">Eric Griffin</font></b></a><br /><br />The extremely athletic Griffin is back once again after a fine summer league performance with the Dallas Mavericks last season that led to a training camp contract with the team. And although he didn't quite make it out of camp, a fine season with the Mavericks' affiliate Texas saw him average 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in 35 minutes a contest. Although Griffin seems to become a less and less interested rebounder with each passing season despite his physical tools, he continues to improve as a shooter, last year knocking down 98 three pointers at a 36.8% mark. That plus 2.4 blocks per game is quite the combination, and Griffin has a legitimate chance of making the NBA next year, including behind his namesake Blake.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1594"><b><font size="3">Jordan Hamilton</font></b></a><br /><br />After some time in the D-League, Hamilton finished up the season with the Clippers, averaging 2.7 points in 14 games. The book is mostly out on Hamilton now; scoring bursts, OK athlete sufficient if not stand-out defense, prone to forcing things at times and passing up at times, and a good not great shooter. There's perhaps some three-and-D potential there, but not the Tobias Harris potential there was once thought to be.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1468"><b><font size="3">Darington Hobson</font></b></a><br /><br />Hobson is back for summer league visit, five years after first being drafted. He spent the first half of last year in Brazil, averaging 17.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists with Brasilia, then came back to the D-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors and added further averages of 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 29.2 minutes per game. Hobson also upped his three point volume, taking four a game and hitting them at 36.7%, and had a very strong final stretch of the season. In the final game of the D-League season, Hobson led the Warriors with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants; a team that was 15-10 after Hobson's debut ended up 35-15 and the league champions, and Hobson was a big part of that. Hobson does much the same sort of thing as what Joe Ingles does, and Joe Ingles just played a full season in the NBA. At this point, so could Hobson.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2158"><b><font size="3">Geron Johnson</font></b></a><br /><br />From last year's NCAA shooting guards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Johnson was [Chris] Crawford's team mate at Memphis for the last two years, and played off the ball just as much as he did in an entirely different way. The hallmarks of his game are playing hard and playing athletically, and he thrives on all the things those things avail. He runs the court, is always pushing the ball, and can drive to the rim and finish explosively. He really is a dynamic full court player, a tremendous rebounder for a 6'3 guard, and, at times, a quality defensive presence. Johnson's speed and hands make him a very capable defensive player of both guard positions when the tenacity is there (and it normally is, but there are lulls). Strong with a long wingspan and a great leap, Johnson's physical profile belies his lack of height for the two guard position, and yet he can also masquerade as a point, bringing the ball up when needed and a good extra passer, if not a defense collapser.<br /><br />All good so far. Sounds like the upcoming Chris Kramer if Kramer could do something with the ball, if he had longer arms, and if he was even more athletic. Indeed, Johnson shares Kramer's poor shooting ability, struggling with any form of jumpshot and yet not letting that stop him from trying them. The comparison goes further - Johnson struggles to create his jumpshots or any offense of his own, cannot shoot off the dribble at all and struggles with poor touch around the rim, but is a good extra passer and has good hands and drives open lanes. Johnson can split a double team and drive baseline in ways Kramer can't, but there are many similarities nonetheless. Yet what really separates them is Johnson's knack for turnovers, stemming from forcing the issue, not being able to dribble at the same speed as he can run, throwing the ball away and making too many poor decisions. Johnson makes much happen when he is on the court, but when he's on the ball, those things are all too often not good things.<br /><br />This all lends itself terrifically to a workout setting, and Johnson played himself into fringe NBA range in that period. But it may be as close as he gets.</blockquote><br />Johnson signed with the Houston Rockets for three days right at the end of training camp so that the Rockets could get him to their D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. But although Johnson spent the whole year there, he didn't play much, averaging only 12.9 minutes in 33 games and averaging 5.2 points and 1.4 assists. The 23% shooting means the jump shot is still not there yet.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Haakim Johnson</font></b><br /><br />Johnson is out of NAIA school Pikeville, and having graduated in 2009 has spent the vast majority of his time in non-English speaking countries. He spent one year in Puerto Rico, two in Japan, a couple in Europe, all interspersed with trips to Saudi Arabia. He has also spent time in Mexico and in the PBL (apparently the Clippers are hitting up the non-D-League minor leagues this summer). A 6'7 face-up four man (not to be confused with a small forward), Johnson fancies himself a shooter, but is inconsistent in his mechanics and shoots a bit flat, and has never been a good shooter at any of these many stops despite his best intentions. He has some post-up play and driving in his arsenal and is decently athletic, but Johnson does not stand out in any facet of the game, and still just wants to be a shooter.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Amath M'Baye</font></b><br /><br />M'Baye played in summer league for the Clippers last year, as well as for the Jazz and Spurs in 2013, at which time <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2013/07/2013-summer-league-rosters-orlando_8344.html">I wrote this about him:</a><br /><br /><blockquote>M'Baye's incredibly ambitious declaration for the draft didn't really work out, in the sense that he wasn't drafted, although it does mean he can begin earning professional basketball paychecks sooner. And earn paychecks, he will. Last year for Oklahoma, M'Baye averaged 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game, hitting some jumpers, defending some forwards, grabbing boards, whilst hardly handling or playmaking. Yet there was no one determinable calling card. A solid college player whose lure is his physical profile, M'Baye will be in the pro game for several years, but this is likely the closest he'll get to the bigs.<br /><br />To be fair, his career trajectory right now rather mirrors that of the aforementioned Jeff Brooks. And yet it has worked out for Jeff. But not in the NBA.</blockquote><br />The two years hence have been spent in Japan with the Mitsubishi Dolphins, for whom M'Baye averaged 23.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last season. He also shot 33% from three on more than three attempts per game, which is an improvement on pretty much every year prior. M'Baye impressed the Clippers last summer with his willingness to run and his athleticism, and two years as a go-to guy at both forwatd spots has helped him develop his once raw skills to go with his physical profile. M'Baye has continued to improve year on year and expand his game, and is back here on merit, despite my (not intended) pessimism of yester year.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Liam McMorrow</font></b><br /><br />Tennessee Tech graduate McMorrow is also a one time summer league back for a second go, who played for the as-were Hornets in the 2013 edition. He has spent the two years hence in various places, firstly in Taiwan, and then splitting last year between the Halifax Rainmen of NBL Canada and Barako Bull in the Phillipines, the latter of which he averaged 27.5 points and 20.2 rebounds per game for. Even in a league where every import's stats (especially rebounding stats) are huge, McMorrow's stand out. Turning 28 in a couple of weeks despite his relative newness to the game, McMorrow is a project starting to come good - 7'2, strong and a good leaper, he is a rare physical specimen, who never fails to make himself known on the glass. The offensive game is extremely limited, the mistakes high, and the defensive awareness slowo and clumsy (for some reason he never does much in the way of shotblocking, despite it all), yet in spite of this and his advancing age, McMorrow's profile is suitably rare as to always merit a look.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2573"><b><font size="3">Yanick Moreira</font></b></a><br /><br />From this year's NCAA centres list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Moreira leaves Southern Methodist as a very experienced and much developed player. His awareness and understanding of the pace of the game improved markedly as a senior, and he went from being something of a project to a developed professional player.<br /><br />Moreira is a fluid and mobile athlete, not a huge leaper or especially explosive but one who moves well and runs the court especially well for a centre. He has also added some muscle to a slightly thin frame, and has skill to go with this profile. Armed with a turnaround jump shot and a quick set-shot from the 15 feet or so area, Moreira also scores with a running righty hook, but can also use a left, and is a good interior passer to boot. He will take a dribble or two from the mid-range area and is always a threat in pick-and-roll situations. Moreira is pretty much entirely a mid-range threat, without the strength to create position in the post and without the range to step any further out, and shoots line-drives free throws poorly that belie his shooting abilities from that area in open play. But he will occasionally flash a spin move in the post and is certainly effective overall offensively, a skilled and smooth big man who presents an option in the half court, and definitely in the full court.<br /><br />Defensively, the lack of strength again hinders Moreira a bit, and he is a bit soft with his interior defense. He also goal tends quite a lot of shots, and I don't say this because of his one most famous one. He nevertheless competes defensively and is a good paint protector, lively and active, who gets up quickly from standing - the goal tends are the trade-off from the overall good defensive presence.<br /><br />Were he slightly stronger and slightly more skilled, Moreira would be a sure-fire NBA player. As it is, he's not far short anyway.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2432"><b><font size="3">D.J. Newbill</font></b></a><br /><br />From this year's NCAA shooting guards list:<br /><br /><blockquote>Newbill is an extremely big time scorer, partly because Penn State have always needed him to be, but always because he is capable of being so. <br /><br />Best as a slasher, Newbill scores in many ways, if not every way. He has added better three point range year on year, but is certainly no three point bomber; indeed, for a while, he took too many two point jump shots. But he's put them away, in favour of more three pointers and more barrels to the paint. Newbill can get to the paint using good athleticism and a very good handle that allows him to change direction quickly, particularly in the form of a crossover that is something of a staple. Once at the rim, Newbill's power and aggressive nature makes him an unafraid finisher (albeit almost entirely with the right hand), which he combines with a runner (supposedly which he learnt from Tim Frazier) for those moments when he can't or won't get the whole way there. Newbill also shoots a pull-up two pointer well, and has a stronger mid-range game than most.<br /><br />Capable of playing point guard, Newbill is best served more off the ball, where his efficiency improves markedly and where he can focus on the thing he does best - scoring. He is much better at getting to the basket off of curls and closeouts than in isolation, and although he shoots few jump shots off these screens, his catch-and-shoot shot is servicable. Furthermore, Newbill is also a fairly decent defender. His lateral quickness is perhaps better than his straight line speed, and although there are some lapses on that end (which can perhaps be attributed to the huge offensive load he has been carrying), his ability to stay in front when plugged in is quite good.<br /><br />Ideally, Newbill would be bigger (only 6'4 with a 6'6 wingspan, not great for a two guard). This, of course, he cannot control. He can however control the shot selection, which is not great at times, and he can be accountable for the defensive lapses and underdeveloped jump shot. There is also a hero ball tendency in clutch situations that needs to go (and which the team must be somewhat accountable for), yet that will likely go with newer pastures.<br /><br />There is no one remarkable facet to Newbill's game, yet there is a bit of most of them. Newbill can be a tremendous European guard.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Tim Parham</font></b><br /><br />Parham is almost certainly going to be the oldest player in any of the three summer leagues going on this season. Now aged 32, the 6'9 centre graduated from Maryland Eastern Shore way back in 2006, and has very much toured the world in that time. He has played in such far ranging places as Taiwan, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Turkey, the D-League, the UAE and Germany, and now he gets to (kind of) add the NBA to that list. It's a bizarre inclusion, however; Parham has spent most of the last two years with the Halifax Rainman of the NBL Canada league, but he averaged only 5.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for them last year, before averaging 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds down the stretch of the season for the Windsor Express after being traded for a future draft pick. Ironically, Parham had lost his place on the Rainmen to the aforementioned Liam McMorrow. Old, extremely limited offensively, not a shot blocker and not especially athletic, Parham is a 6'9 strong rebounder and fouler who plays a limited role well, but only at the right level. He's therefore an odd inclusion on this roster - although he attended summer league with the Chicago Bulls once, that was back in 2006.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1847"><b><font size="3">Royce White</font></b></a><br /><br />White did not play last year, and still has precisely 24 games played in a three year professional, 20 of which were in the D-League. It's hard to know how this ends - notwithstanding the anxiety issues and the burnt bridges, it is not apparent what role White would fill on a team, or that he ever could have done. Not a defender or a shooter, White's abilities as a playmaker are heavily mitigated by not being of a sufficient talent level to merit the ball in his hands much in the first place. So on what basis would he be called up? <br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2558"><b><font size="3">C.J. Wilcox</font></b></a><br /><br />Wilcox barely played as a rookie, recording only 101 minutes, which is not enough time to make a judgement of any substance. We then have to return again to his projection, that of being a three-and-D potential player. With his size, wingspan and good set shot, Wilcox certainly has this, but with the trade for Lance Stephenson, it doesn't seem as though he will get any minutes with the Clippers again this year either. A change of scenery might be the best thing for him - then again, it hasn't helped Reggie Bullock.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2558"><b><font size="3">Nate Wolters</font></b></a><br /><br />After starting 31 games as a rookie, Wolters was cut early last season by the Bucks, and although he was soon picked up by the New Orleans Pelicans, he didn't last but ten games before being waived again and confined to the D-League for the remainder of the year. In 12 games for the Grand Rapids Drive, however, Wolters averaged 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.2 assists, with a near 4:1 assist to turnover ratio. Wolters still can't shoot, and that, in an era of heightened awareness of offensive efficiency, is a bigger problem than ever. But that ratio is extreme efficiency, and even if he can't shoot to compensate it, Wolters's playmaking out of the pick-and-roll is not easily found elsewhere.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1753"><b><font size="3">Patric Young</font></b></a><br /><br />From last year's NCAA power forwards list:<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2011/03/an-unnecessarily-exhaustive-guide-to_16.html">Way back in the day</a>, I anointed Patric Young with the title of "future SEC Defensive Player of the Year". And it came off; Young won the award as a senior after making the All-Conference Defense Team as a junior.<br /><br />Over time, Young made strides in learning how to turn his great physical profile into a defensive presence. Certainly, he looks the part; athletic and quite strong, Young is also laterally quick, plenty big enough to defend the post while also fast enough to defend the perimeter. That said, his defense is far from imperfect - sagging off too far on said perimeter defense, Young's effort and effectiveness are a bit inconsistent, and his feet on the perimeter need work. Also, for all the athleticism, Young's offense is limited, mostly just powerfully finishing the work of others or getting the looks only available to one so athletic. He's always a lob threat, but he's rarely a post threat, and there is little jump shot to speak of.<br /><br />Young intrigues with size, strength and athleticism. He runs and he dunks, he explodes and he blocks, and he has decent hands to boot. But he needs to lock down defensively, and either become a much more viable threat in the pick-and-roll, shoot jump shots, or both.<br /></blockquote><br />Signed by the New Orleans Pelicans last summer after going undrafted, Young made it only one month through his rookie season before being waived in favour of Dante Cunningham. He then spent the rest of the season with Galatasaray in Turkey, averaging 10.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in Turkish league play. Young has agreed to play for Olympiakos next season and thus likely won't actually play in summer league, but given that I had written this before that news broke, the blurb stays.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-14917318697225863612014-11-06T02:36:00.000+00:002014-12-05T12:33:21.969+00:00The Second 2014 Tremendous Basketball Player Names Tournament - Sweet Sixteen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XruHrrszLWc/VFrZsbOY8mI/AAAAAAAAAL4/d9HIwH6hS3c/s1600/sweetsixteenbracket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XruHrrszLWc/VFrZsbOY8mI/AAAAAAAAAL4/d9HIwH6hS3c/s640/sweetsixteenbracket.jpg" /></a></div>(Click image to enlarge.)<br /><br />From the "screw it, we might as well finish it" archives comes the continuation of this aborted attempt at a sequel to the initial <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2011/03/the-2014-ridiculous-basketball-player.html">Ridiculous Names Tournament</a>. This series originally ran on another site, but that site decided to close down indefinitely for whatever reason, which halted the series. Nevertheless, we resume it here. Might even open a sportsbook so you can bet on the outcome. < <!--Or try and convince Paddy Power to do it, as they already currently offer the <a href="http://paddypower.com/bet/basketball" target=_blank>best value NBA match betting coupons</a>.--><br /><br />We've already lost three quarters of the entrants. And now, things start to get tougher. <br /><br /><hr><br /><font size="5"><b>The Name Is The Window On The Soul Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Chastity Gooch v (4) Calamity McEntire:</b></font><br /><br />The Gooch has followed the form book thus far, unchallenged in contests versus Ashley Awkward and Arthur Pervy. Now, she comes up against McEntire, who thus far has over Epiphanny Prince and the sneaky-good Mike Smelkinson. There is probably a "Calamity" pun to be made here, but sometimes you have to be the bigger man.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Chastity Gooch or Calamity McEntire?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget6032191320554615949' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/6032191320554615949/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(11) Urban Rat v (2) Corperryale L'Adorable Harris:</b></font><br /><br />Rat is the upstart in the bracket, pulling off two upsets in wins over the overseeded Gerald Fonzie and the really overseeded Joo Suk. He now goes up against the real full name of NBA guard Manny Harris, who frankly I would not mind seeing eliminated from the competition so I no longer have to battle to fill his name in on the picture.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Urban Rat or Corperryale L'Adorable Harris?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='160' name='poll-widget-1666873325884103310' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-1666873325884103310/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><hr><br /><font size="5"><b>Body Parts And Famous People Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Pee-Wee Gash v (5) Harvey Knuckles:</b></font><br /><br />I hope that the meaning of all these terms are international and universal, because otherwise the seeding of Mr Gash makes no sense. <br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Pee-Wee Gash or Harvey Knuckles?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget4926838727939311720' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/4926838727939311720/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(6) Mark Asses v (2) Thankgod Moses:</b></font><br /><br />These ones are certainly universal. Incidentally, if Mark Asses ever has a son, he really should call it Thankgod.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Mark Asses or Thankgod Moses?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-3915712405337482508' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-3915712405337482508/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><hr><br /><font size="5"><b>First Name Makes No Difference Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Phyllis Mangina v (13) Keene Cockburn:</b></font><br /><br />The underseeded Cockburn should be considered a legitimate threat to pull off the 13-1 Sweet Sixteen upset, which so far has never happened in NCAA tournament history. <br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Phyllis Mangina or Keene Cockburn?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget2072685874262497192' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/2072685874262497192/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(6) Young Gi Bang v (2) Marshall Cabbagestalk:</b></font><br /><br />One of those matchups you don't want either person to lose. Incidentally, the surname Cabbagestalk is not as rare as I assumed it would be. <a href="http://mugshot-information.com/booking/2700069/JHIRMACK-CABBAGESTALK" target=_blank>This one is a favourite.</a><br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Young Gi Bang or Marshall Cabbagestalk?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget2785492975828022086' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/2785492975828022086/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><br /><hr><br /><font size="5"><b>First Name Makes All The Difference Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Fonda Dicks v (4) Squirtisha Moore:</b></font><br /><br />These two are both female. So find a state that permits such things, get married, and become Squirtisha Dicks. Do it for me.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Fonda Dicks or Squirtisha Moore?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget1764697771973538327' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/1764697771973538327/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(3) Ivana Mandic v (2) Majestic Mapp:</b></font><br /><br />Get married, defy convention, have the man adopted the woman's surname, and become Majestic Mandic. Don't worry about the logistics. Do it over the internet if you have to. Just get it done.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Ivana Mandic or Majestic Mapp?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget5842262674794938794' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/5842262674794938794/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div>Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-69984724849730140162014-09-26T19:44:00.000+01:002014-09-26T19:44:03.212+01:00How Agents Make Money Out Of Rookie Contracts(originally posted elsewhere)<br /><br />The general rule for agents is that their earnings off of negotiated player contracts are capped at 4% of the player's salary. Indeed, 4% is an assumed amount unless otherwise agreed upon, as outlined in section 3(B) of the Standard Player Agent Contract:<br /><br /><blockquote><i>If the Player receives compensation in excess of the minimum compensation applicable under the CBA for one or more playing seasons, the Agent shall receive a fee of four percent (4%) of the compensation received by the Player for each such playing season, unless a lesser percent (%) or amount has been agreed to by the parties [...]</i></blockquote><br />In practice, this 4% is rarely deviated from. 4% is the norm, and rarely is it any different, especially in contracts involving the more powerful agents. There was an intriguing case involving Antoine Walker and agent Mark Bartelstein some years ago, in which Bartelstein had agreed the fairly unusual concession upon Antoine's signing of a contract with Atlanta of lowering his standard fee from 4% at the time of signing to 3%, at the player's discretion, if it was felt that Bartelstein 'wasn't doing a good job'. (The case went to arbitration over a disagreement over quite what that phrasing meant, and of how much Walker had to pay him. It was not in dispute that Walker owed Bartelstein, but merely how much, based on the arbiter's findings of whether Walker was entitled to pay only 3% or not. Bartelstein won the case and was awarded a judgement of $671,373.) But this case stands out for its novelty, and is certainly not par for the course.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />However, the same handbook adds a few other criteria. In section 3(A) immediately preceding the previous paragraph, it states this:<br /><br /><blockquote>If the Player receives only the minimum compensation under the NBA-NBPA collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) applicable for the playing season or seasons covered by the individual contract, the Agent shall receive a fee of two percent (2%) of the compensation received by the player for each such season, unless a lesser percent (%) or amount has been agreed to by the parties [...]</blockquote><br />Section 3(A) is itself an odd one. It protects the player somewhat, in that their smallest possible payday is not made too much smaller by an agent's cut, yet it penalises the agent. Minimum salaries are arguably the hardest contracts to get, because so many people are worthy of them, and yet because so many are worthy of them, it is even harder to get any significant amount of guaranteed compensation on them. For more work, then, comes less reward.<br /><br />However, there exists a protocol these days for players drafted early in the second round - or, as is increasingly prevalent, <I>anywhere</i> in the second round - to sign contracts for longer than the two year maximum allowed by the minimum salary exception. Teams are using their mid-level exceptions or cap space, both of which provide for a maximum of four years in this scenario, to sign their players to a three year contract, and sometimes even a four year one. And because using the mid-level exception or cap space does not tie the player nor the team to the minimum salary, these players almost always get more than the minimum in the first season of the contract, before normally earning the minimum for the two years thereafter.<br /><br />This season, the minimum salary for rookies is $507,336. A player signing a two year minimum salary contract this season - for the sake of argument, let us pretend all salaries included in this hypothetical are fully guaranteed - would thus earn $507,336 this season and $845,059 the next - 2% of that total for the agent would be $27,048. However, if the contract negotiated was actually a three year deal, paying $650,000 in the first year and the minimum in the following two, that would be a total contract of $2,475,490, on which an agent will earn $62,510 (getting 4% of the $650,000 in year one and 2% of the $1,825,490 for the combined two years of minimum salary). The player gets more money too (although the <A href="http://www.shamsports.com/2013/07/omer-asik-and-jeremy-lins-contract.html" target=_blank>Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin affairs</a> are testament as to whether three year contracts are really beneficial to the player and his representatives, while <A href="http://www.hoop365.com/nba/western-conference/southwest-division/houston-rockets/chandler-parsons-rare-instance-deliberate-overpayment/" target=_Blank>the Chandler Parsons saga</a> really rather disproves the value of a fourth year), yet the agents get a significant pay increase for what are ostensibly negligible tweaks to the contract. The difference between a $507,336 standard minimum and an $800,000 feel-good contract is for the player about 150%, yet for the agent about 300%.<br /><br />So, that's why that happens. And yes, it does mean that it is possible for a player to sign for so little above the minimum that it in fact costs them money. <br /><br />There exists another criterion, too. Immediately after both of the above, Section 3(C) of the Standard Player Agent Contract states:<br /><br /><blockquote>If the Player is a rookie drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft who receives compensation in accordance with the “Rookie Scale” set forth in Article VIII of the CBA, the Agent shall receive a fee that is the higher of: (i) 4% of the compensation in excess of the 80% amount that is guaranteed under the Rookie Scale; or (ii) the amount payable under subparagraph (A) above by a rookie who receives only the minimum compensation under Article II, Section 6(b) of the CBA, unless a lesser percent (%) or amount has been agreed to by the parties [...]</blockquote><br />It has long since been established that first rounders, who are eligible for anywhere between 80% and 120% of their pre-determined salary amounts, almost always get the full 120% of it. Indeed, since 2002 and as best as can be ascertained, the only players to take anything less than that full amount have been as follows:<br /><br />- <B>Raul Lopez</b> (2001, #24; signed in 2002): 80% in year one, 120% thereafter.<br />- <B>Beno Udoh</b> (2004, #28): 80% in year one, 120% thereafter.<br />- <B>Yaroslav Korolev</b> (2005, #12): 100% in year one, 97% in year two, 120% in years three and four.<br />- <B>Sergei Monia</b> (2005, #23): 100% in year one with incentives to reach 120% <i>[see below]</i>, 120% thereafter.<br />- <B>Sergio Rodriguez</b> (2006, #30): 100% all four years.<br />- <B>Ian Mahinmi</b> (2007, #28): 80% in year one, 80% in year two with incentives to reach 100%, 90% in years three and four with incentives to reach 110% in both <i>[see below]</i>.<br />- <b>George Hill</b> (2008, #26): 120% in years one and two, 80% in years three and four <i>[see below]</i>.<br />- <b>Donte Greene</b> (2008, #28): 100% in all four years with incentives to reach 120%<i>[see below]</i>.<br />- <B>James Anderson</b> (2010, #20): 105% in year one with incentives to reach 120%, 105% in year two with incentives to reach 115%, 107% in year three and four with incentives to reach 117% in both <i>[see below]</i>.<br />- <b>MarShon Brooks</b> (2011, #25): 115% in year one, 120% thereafter.<br />- <b>Marquis Teague</b> (2012, #29): 100% in year one, 120% thereafter.<br />- <b>Dennis Schroeder</b> (2013, #17): 100% in year one, 120% thereafter.<br />- <b>Andre Roberson</b> (2013, #26): 80% in year one, 120% thereafter.<br /><br />[NB: It is very common for rookie scale contracts to have incentives to reach the full 120%. Very common, in fact - it applies to more than half of all first round draftees contracts every year. However, these incentives are normally for things such as participating in summer leagues and summer development programs. It is very rare indeed for rookie scale incentives to not be met. Monia and Greene are listed here because they were deemed to be unlikely to be met as opposed to the usual likely, and because they were in fact not met, not in any of the four applicable years for Greene and nor in the one year Monia managed. John Salmons also had incentives that were unusually considered initially to be unlikely in his rookie scale deal, in the same way as those two, but he met them, received the full 120%, and thus is not listed. In Mahinmi's case, his incentives for years two and three were initially considered likely, and subsequently met, but he never got to his fourth season as his option was declined. Furthermore, as a side note, the 80% amount in George Hill's third season was so small that it was actually less than the minimum salary, and had to be adjusted upwards to be that instead.]<br /><br />In the 386 first round draft picks covered in that time period, those are strongly believed to be the only thirteen players to have not signed for the full 120% of the rookie scale contract. It self-evidently is therefore a rare situation to encounter, especially when it is considered which teams are the ones that do this - of the above, one was done by the as-then New Jersey Nets, one by the Chicago Bulls, one by the Oklahoma City Thunder, one by the Atlanta Hawks, one by the Utah Jazz, one by the Houston Rockets, one by the L.A. Clippers, two by the Portland Trail Blazers and four by the San Antonio Spurs, so it is often times a select practice by a certain team. Other circumstances often play a part - for example, Lopez was only offered 80% on account of missing the previous season due to severe knee injury, and luxury tax concerns played a part in both the Teague and Roberson decisions. Teams will also occasionally leverage the "no one else was going to pick you that high" card in negotiations, as seen with Hill, and <A href="http://www.hoop365.com/nba/western-conference/northwest-division/oklahoma-city-thunder/josh-huestiss-d-league-adventure-misplaced-exercise-loyalty/">as was recently seen with 2014 draft pick Josh Huestis.</a> Even with all these exceptions to the rule, however, the norm is the norm is the norm, and that norm is 120% throughout the life of the contract. <br /><br />Remember that agents do not get 4% of rookie scale contracts. Instead, they can get only 4% of the amount <b>above</b> the 80%. Therefore, if a payer gets 120%, the agent gets 4% of that 40%, and if the player gets 80%, the agent gets zero. To put that into some actual numbers, the #15 pick in this past draft had a scale amount of $1,546,100 for the 2014/15 season. 80% of that amount is $1,236,880, and 120% of it is $1,855,320. The difference between the two is $618,440, 4% of which is $24,738. This is a decent one year pay day for negotiating a contract normally so automatic that 95% of eligible players get it.<br /><br />You can see, then, why it is a very big thing for an agent to get his played signed for the full 120%. And so you can see why an agent might do everything in his player to get that full 120%. You can see why they would not wish to work for free. And you can see why they might advise a client taking the 80% tender offer. After all, if the player does that, the agent gets nothing. And that's not how agents work. So if the only offer on the table is an 80% one, you can see perhaps why an agent might advise against it.<br /><br />[Edited to note that a decent percentage of agents actually take 0% on rookie contracts, instead making their money off of endorsements. But not all.)Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-25074590068788681932014-09-10T12:28:00.000+01:002016-02-01T11:54:03.392+00:00An introduction to basketball betting<a name='more'></a><br />Of the major sports disciplines in the world, basketball is one of the easiest to learn how to bet on and possibly lead you to a massive win that could change your entire life around.<br /><br />In fact, if you’re already familiar with betting on American football then you basically know everything about basketball betting already, since both sports use the point spread, over/under and money line methods to make bets. <br /><br />If all that jargon is new for you, there’s no need to panic! In this article, we’ll explain the five types of basketball betting you’re most likely to encounter in a sportsbook, as well as how you can get started with betting on basketball online in no time.<br /><br /><br /><b>The point spread</b><br /><br />The most common method of betting on basketball matches is called the <a href="http://sportsgambling.about.com/od/sportsgambling101/a/introsprds.htm" target=_Blank>point spread</a>, or a straight bet. With this method, the stronger team in a matchup is called the favourite, whereas the team expected to lose is called the underdog.<br /><br />For betting purposes, the underdogs are given an amount of points that equalises their chances of winning the game with respect to the favourites, such that every bet carries 50/50 odds, whether you wager on one team or the other.<br /><br />For example, if team A is considered superior to B and the book keepers decide to award 10 points to the underdog, then team A must win the match by 11 or more points for bettors who wagered on a team A win to win their bets. On the other hand, punters betting on team B will win their bets if team B manages to win the game or lose by nine points or less.<br /><br /><br /><b>Betting totals or Over/under</b><br /><br />The second most common method of betting on basketball is to bet totals, also known among punters as over/under.<br /><br />Basically, the total is the predicted combined score of the two teams confronting each other on the court. Bookkeepers chose a total and bettors have to bet whether the actual total will be over or under the predicted total.<br /><br />If a game between team A and B has a predicted total of 188 points, then bettors wagering an over bet would win their bet if the actual total combined score of the two teams was 189 points or greater. Conversely, bettors who bet under would win their bet if the actual combine score of the match was 187 or less.<br /><br /><br /><b>Money lines</b><br /><br />Money lines used to be the most popular form of basketball betting before the point spread was invented. Although less common today, it money line betting is still an option that is offered by both physical and online sports books, so it worth learning how it works.<br /><br />Money line wagers are the type classical bets which involves a different set of odds on the likelihood of each team winning the game. Unlike the point spread, there isn’t a 50-percent chance of winning and therefore the risk is considerably bigger when making money line bets.<br /><br />The money line odds represent how much money the bettors have to risk in order to win $10 (if the team is the favourite) or else the amount that can be won by wagering $10 (if the team is the underdog).<br /><br /><br /><b>Parlays and Teasers</b><br /><br />An even less common, and decidedly more complex, form of wagers are parlays and teasers, which are also referred to by punters as exotic bets.<br /><br />In these types of bets, the bettors must guess correctly the winners of two or more basketball games. When making parlays, the bettors have the option of betting against the point spread or making a money line bet on multiple games, while teasers allow players to use the point spread and even adjust the spread in their favour.<br /><br />The catch with parlays and teasers is that every team on your bet must win or else the bet is considered a loss.<br /><br /><br /><b>Betting on basketball games online</b> <br /><br />As you can see basketball betting is very simple to grasp and therefore it’s a perfect introduction to the exciting (and profitable!) world of sports betting.<br /><br />But if you want to simplify your gambling life even further than why even bother going to a physical sportsbook to place your bet?<br /><br />There are dozens of <a href="http://www.onlinegambling.ca/sportsbetting-guide.php" target=_blank>popular and reputable</a> sportsbooks online, many of them associated with the biggest operators, such as William Hill, Bet365, Paddy Power and more. Most casino websites also offer sportsbooks alongside their typical offerings of slots and card games.<br /><br />These websites let you open up a gaming account for free and even reward you generously for doing so! In fact, almost every operator has welcome packages for new players and you should keep your eyes skinned for the great promotions running all the year round.<br /><br /><br /><b>Conclusion</b><br /><br />What is so appealing about basketball isn’t just its simplicity and the fast-paced tempo of a match which ensures you know the outcome of your bet in a short time.<br /><br />Indeed, basketball betting can be more profitable than other popular sports in the USA, such as football, because there are a greater number of matches played during the season, as well as hundreds of college games. <br /><br />All this, combined with the relative ease with which you can master the different betting types, makes basketball an ideal sport for veterans and newcomers to bet on, and with the wide variety of online sportsbooks available, basketball bettors are simply spoilt for choice in the number of ways they can win money with their favourite sport!<br />Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-37192062656422200732014-09-09T02:17:00.000+01:002014-11-13T02:36:13.502+00:00The Second 2014 Tremendous Basketball Player Names Tournament - Second Round<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hoop365.com/featured/second-2014-tremendous-basketball-player-names-tournament/">(Click here for first round matchups.</a> Also, click image to enlarge.)<br /><br />The first round over, and there weren't too many upsets. All 1, 2 and 3 seeds made it through, although Nelson Mandela only just beat the plucky Sydney Smallbone, and Ivana Mandic only barely squeaked out the legendary World B. Free by a couple of votes. World B. Free was the last named put on this ballot, as, due to his level of fame (and thus lack of surprise element) plus the fact that his name had a small if acceptable whiff of fakery about it, I nearly did not include him. But I did, and he rewarded this reluctance with a near 13 v 4 seed upset over one of what I assumed would be one of the pre-tournament favourites. This was arguably the best matchup of the first round, and yet it shouldn't have been.<br /><br />For rules, entry criteria, proof that this people actually exist and the like, <a href="http://www.hoop365.com/featured/second-2014-tremendous-basketball-player-names-tournament/">see the intro to the first round</a>. For now, with the polls now closed, it's time for more polls. Here are some more polls.<br /><br /><hr><br /><font size="5"><b>The Name Is The Window On The Soul Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Chastity Gooch v (8) Arthur Pervy:</b></font><br /><br />The first matchup is a great one. Gooch returned 81% of the vote in a hefty victory over the plucky but overmatched Ashley Awkward, while Pervy was even more dominant in an 83% landslide victory over Jackie Bedwell. For this to only be a second round matchup speaks either to the overall strength of the regional, the overall strength of the tournament, or my inability to seed. Or some combination thereof.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Chastity Gooch or Arthur Pervy?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget1154022391665462809' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/1154022391665462809/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(12) Epiphanny Prince v (4) Calamity McEntire:</b></font><br /><br />McEntire overcame Mike Smelkinson in her first round matchup, which was a personal disappointment for me as I was firmly in the Smelkinson camp. She's now up against Prince in a battle of multi-syllable obscure nounal first names, her Heath Robinson surname perhaps being what tips this.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Epiphanny Prince or Calamity McEntire?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-6908498293360692881' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-6908498293360692881/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(11) Urban Rat v (3) Joo Suk:</b></font><br /><br />In demolishing Gerald Fonzie, Rat recorded 95% of the vote despite being the lesser seed, which is akin to that time a few years ago when Michigan beat Tennessee by about 75 points or something, except even more one sided. Suk can heckle as much as he likes, but the Rat is a machine, and clearly one with a fanbase.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Urban Rat or Joo Suk?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget6357588347138469787' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/6357588347138469787/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(10) Lekan Somefun v (2) Corperryale L'Adorable Harris:</b></font><br /><br />Manny Harris's adorable full name recorded an easy victory over Benjamin Bangard, while Somefun led from the front and held on late from the number 7 seed, Genesis Lightbourne. They should really pair up, create a super player named L'Adorable Somefun, and have done with it. Unfortunately, that's not how brackets work.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Lekan Somefun or Corperryale L'Adorable Harris?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='160' name='poll-widget-287262603416311739' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-287262603416311739/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><hr><br /><br /><font size="5"><b>Body Parts And Famous People Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Pee-Wee Gash v (9) Tiago Casanova:</b></font><br /><br />Tied until the very end, a late flurry of votes saw Casanova just beat out Picasso Simmons in the artsy-fartsiest first round tie. The pure unrelenting crudity of Gash's name now creates a striking juxtaposition. Vote on this matchup, general public, and show me how classy you are/n't.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Pee-Wee Gash or Tiago Casanova?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-6574806496480562182' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-6574806496480562182/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(5) Harvey Knuckles v (13) Willie Sweat:</b></font><br /><br />A win for alpha males the world over as Harvey Knuckles, the toughest sounding man ever, fights his way through to meet Sweat, whose penile reference trumped the literary one of Baskerville Holmes and speaks volumes as to the demograph of people that read this sort of thing.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Harvey Knuckles or Willie Sweat?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget3635744430169884445' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/3635744430169884445/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(6) Mark Asses v (3) Nelson Mandela:</b></font><br /><br />Asses beat Moustache [Tracey] in a first round matchup that I'm guessing featured an almost exclusively male electorate. Figures. Mandela meanwhile barely squeaked past Sydney Smallbone and may have been overseeded a bit. But I got excited when I saw his name on a Kenyan club team's roster. You would have done too, I'm pretty sure.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Mark Asses or Nelson Mandela?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget8355936323958947054' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/8355936323958947054/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(7) Koomson Hitla v (2) Thankgod Moses:</b></font><br /><br />In the first round, Hitla beat Stalin. Now he's up against both God and Moses. And if he wins this while the matchup above goes by the form book, Hitla will then be up against Mandela. Hitla, frankly, must be stopped.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Koomson Hitla or Thankgod Moses?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget5385708889871463115' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/5385708889871463115/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><hr><br /><br /><font size="5"><b>First Name Makes No Difference Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Phyllis Mangina v (8) Tyrone Manlove:</b></font><br /><br />Manlove destroyed Starr Breedlove in their opening round matchup, a victory for LGBT rights enthusiasts everywhere. However, should he now lose to the powerhouse name of Phyllis Mangina, as is expected, it does not mean the movement ends here. Somehow, we will find another way to throw off the shackles of oppression.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Phyllis Mangina or Tyrone Manlove?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget9030895958555933860' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/9030895958555933860/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(12) Chris GooGoo v (13) Keene Cockburn:</b></font><br /><br />Cockburn pulled off the biggest upset of the first round, toppling number 4 seed Peter Jurkin with some ease, while GooGoo was almost as comprehensive in brushing aside number 5 seed Elvis Old Bull. This means the 12 v 13 matchup, that has only ever happened five times in NCAA tournament bracket history, has now happened in <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/03/the-2014-ridiculous-basketball-player.html" target=_Blank>every Tremendous Basketball Player Name bracket ever held.</a> What we've learnt here, as always, is that I cannot seed tournaments.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Chris GooGoo or Keene Cockburn?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget8828210769514845677' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/8828210769514845677/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(6) Young Gi Bang v (3) Dave Poon:</b></font><br /><br />Gi Bang put in a very strong first round performance in a comprehensive win over Irene Flapper, while the Poons barely squeaked past an upstart Mark Gayman. If it helps inform the vote, remember what was said in the round one round-up - there are <a href="http://www.balloholic.com/about/head-balloholic" target=_blank>two</a> Dave <a href="http://hk.linkedin.com/in/poonhoyin" target=_blank>Poons</a>.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Young Gi Bang or the Dave Poons?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget7473920000139702287' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/7473920000139702287/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(10) Jojo Longalong v (2) Marshall Cabbagestalk:</b></font><br /><br />This is a tremendous matchup against two of my favourites and, honestly, I wish I had seeded the tournament so as to avoid these two dynamic and brilliant names from meeting each other so early. Alas. May the best man win, but really, no one loses.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>JoJo Longalong or Marshall Cabbagestalk?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget8537168581002283943' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/8537168581002283943/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><hr><br /><br /><font size="5"><b>First Name Makes All The Difference Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Fonda Dicks v (8) Wyatt Skunk Cap</b></font><br /><br />Wyatt tied with D'Olajuwon Swanks in their first round matchup, the tie only being split by the incredibly scientific method of <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkDeeksNBA/status/509254548859658240" target=_blank>this tweet.</a> I wanted badly for Swanks to win, though, and probably should have just used executive privilege to make it happen. Nevertheless, Skunk Cap is up against a powerhouse here in Dicks, whose 95% share of the vote in their first round matchup against Harlee Wood speaks to what should be continued dominance here.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Fonda Dicks or Wyatt Skunk Cap?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget6466521095601524176' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/6466521095601524176/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(5) LaShawn Medicine Horn v (4) Squirtisha Moore</b></font><br /><br />Moore crushed Dane Bacon in their first round matchup because it turns out only British people know what Danish Bacon is. (Whoops.) She is now embroiled in an all-female matchup against LMH, about whom further investigation has yet to conclusively determine whether "Medicine" is part of a double-barrelled surname or an extra first name. Either way, it's tremendous.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>LaShawn Medicine Horn or Squirtisha Moore?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-1829787785286731199' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-1829787785286731199/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(6) Man Sze Wong v (3) Ivana Mandic</b></font><br /><br />Ivi was THIS CLOSE *holds two fingers really close together* to being the victim of a 3 v 14 upset, taken to the wire by World B. Free, in one of the first round's very closest matchups. She narrowly prevailed, and now finds herself up against someone whose name provides the very thing her name claims to be looking for.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Man Sze Wong or Ivana Mandic?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget6360025659251124349' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/6360025659251124349/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(7) Deejay Lazyboy v (2) Majestic Mapp</b></font><br /><br />Scientific's brother Majestic outlasted B.J. Battle in the first round, albeit in a closer matchup than anticipated. He has a good opportunity here to continue the Mapp legacy, although the two other Mapp siblings (Shalah and Ramecla) rather let the side down a bit. Lazyboy was down early in the voting against Volkan Dik, but came back to win by what in the end was a comfortable margin. It just goes to show what I have always believed - laziness always wins out in the end. (Except maybe here.) Also note: with the top 8 seeds in this final regional all getting through the first round, maybe I can seed after all. <br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Deejay Lazyboy or Majestic Mapp?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget4591119176711374579' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/4591119176711374579/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br />These are the second round matchups. Voting closes at stupid o'clock Eastern on the morning of Tuesday 16th September. Vote now.<br />Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-40537247330625018132014-08-31T02:20:00.000+01:002014-11-13T02:36:31.583+00:00The Second 2014 Tremendous Basketball Player Names Tournament - First RoundFunny names are funny, and the idea of bracketing a bunch of them is not new. The <a href="http://nameoftheyear.blogspot.co.uk/" target=_blank>Name of the Year competition</a> started back in 1983, before the author of this bracket was even a sperm, and that baton has been passed to <a href="http://notytournament.com/" target=_Blank>new ownership</A>, who last year awarded Leo Moses Spornstarr the 2013 winner of the world's ultimate accolade. <br /><br />Inspired by, and in homage to, this decades long legacy of doing God's work, there hereby follows the second Tremendous Basketball Player Names Tournament Bracket, featuring basketball players of different sizes and calibre, of players both current and retired, male and female, from all around the globe. The question we ask here, as always: which name is better?<br /><br />To give some context as to the standards we hope to achieve here, <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2011/03/the-2014-ridiculous-basketball-player.html" target=_blank>the inaugural Basketball Player Names Tournament</a> was won by <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/04/and-winner-is.html" target=_blank>Steeve Ho You Fat</a>, who beat <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/04/the-2014-ridiculous-basketball-player_6.html" target=_blank>Grienntys Chief Kickingstallionsims in a tense final.</a> Standards are high. Dreams are bigger.<br /><br />As can be seen in the full draw above [click to fully expand], the bracket accords with the March Madness tournament bracket style, except arguably with less arbitrary divisions for the regionals. Things of note:<br /><br /><br />* No consideration is given to a player's current status. Some are long since retired, and some never even went pro. Yet it matters not - if you were a basketball player to an organised standard (e.g. college, its equivalents, and above), whose existence, career and name can be found, you count. Anything college and above is sufficient, although this does mean high schoolers and recreational players are not permissible, which is bad news for fans of <a href="http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/989181-8/yakama-bucks-reach-semifinals" target=_blank>Sean Sohappy, Tommy Ghost Dog and Rocky Three Irons</a> the world over. But you gotta have rules, even if I do bend and outright break them later on.<br /><br />* The age cut-off limit is slightly arbitrarily set at 17, due to anything less than that being impossible to verify. This is bad news for fans of Spanish team Unicaja Malaga, who boast in their youth ranks a 13 year old named Golden Dike. When the story of the hilarity of his name breaks in American media in a few years, remember that you heard it here first.<br /><br />* All names are verifiably true via other internet resources, and links to such are given where necessary. In one instance, there exists only one reference to the person on the entire internet. But it will do. Play along.<br /><br />* Little consideration is given to how names are actually pronounced. The only criteria used is how the name <i>looks</i> like it would be pronounced by a particularly ill-informed English speaker.<br /><br />* What constitutes a 'better' name is entirely in the eyes of the voter only. Vote with your own criteria. Different strokes for different folks. The only demand is that names are judged on names alone, irrespective of the skills, life, times and career of the players to whom they are attached.<br /><br />* The depth of research that went into this is mildly disturbing, but there is always the chance good names have been missed. If you know of a great name not listed in either this pool or the other one, email it in to <a href="mailto:mark@hoop365.com">mark@hoop365.com</a>.<br /><br />* This tournament follows the NCAA tournament bracket style, save for the abolishment of play-in games, because, duh.<br /><br />* There is no condescension here. We love the names and thus we love the people behind them. There may be occasional amazement as to how such names came to pass, but it is not ever intended to be derogatory. Give me the esoteric over the bland all day. (Also, my own name is basically Dirty Penises, so I have no room to talk.)<br /><br />* Seedings are somewhat arbitrary and open to much conjecture, as is unavoidable, but were determined via consultation with others (who I supposed you could term a selection committee). <a href="https://twitter.com/AminESPN" target=_blank>Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com,</a> who enjoyed the first incarnation more than anyone should ever really enjoy anything, was not of much use at all really.<br /><br />To the matchups!<br /><br /><hr><br /><font size="5"><b>The Name Is The Window On The Soul Regional</b></font> (a tenuously cobbled-together group of players whose names either contain anything that could be conceived as vaguely descriptive; the regionals get less tenuous later on!)<br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Chastity Gooch v (16) Ashley Awkward:</b></font><br /><br />Awkward, a one time WNBA player and financial consultant who <a href="https://twitter.com/AshleyAwkward/status/501432962521772033" target=_blank>who wants to fatten up Allen Iverson</a>, boasts an awkward surname and the always beneficial use of alliteration. But she surely stands little if any chance of the 1 v 16 upset against Gooch, <a href="http://www.wkusports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/chastity_gooch_845265.html" target=_blank>one of the best players in female college basketball</a>, who sports all three of a tender body part, a belt and a former England cricket captain in her name. If you don't know where on the body the gooch is, then guess, and you're more than likely within a few inches of being right. <br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Chastity Gooch or Ashley Awkward?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-2984788266791919940' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-2984788266791919940/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(8) Arthur Pervy v (9) Jackie Bedwell</b></font><br /><br />Pervy, <a href="http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Arthur-Pervy/Summary/75402" target=blank>a young player in the Greek second division</a>, has one of the most unlikely Greek names ever inflicted on a Greek man. As for Bedwell, I currently live in a place called that, and it's still funny to me. And hopefully also to Jackie, <a href="http://www.englandbasketball.co.uk/uploads/National_Teams.pdf" target=_blank>a one time British national team coach and former London Towers player</a>. Good for her. Good for me. Good for you. Good for everyone.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Arthur Pervy or Jackie Bedwell?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget2108563803875636819' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/2108563803875636819/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(5) Fantasy Jenkins v (12) Epiphanny Prince:</b></font><br /><br />One of the greatest names in sports belongs to USA international volleyball player, Destinee Hooker, but long and hard efforts to find any evidence of her ever playing a competitive standard of basketball so as to be eligible for this competition proved unsuccessful. Nevertheless, <a href="http://naia.jacksonsun.com/2002/photogallery/jpg_d3-Union.shtml" target=_blank>former Life University forward Fantasy Jenkins</a> channels her quite closely, and it is hard to sound much more like an aspiring model than she has managed. <a href="http://www.wnba.com/playerfile/epiphanny_prince/" target=_blank>WNBA star Prince</a>, meanwhile, clearly yearns for a more existential appreciation of monarchic being and introduces us to a world where the concept of religious enlightenment is in play, which is something.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Fantasy Jenkins or Epiphanny Prince?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-8666579800902397582' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-8666579800902397582/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(4) Calamity McEntire v (13) Mike Smelkinson:</b></font><br /><br />McEntire is <a href="https://twitter.com/coachmcentire" target=_blank>a daughter, sister, aunt, niece, friend, coach, teacher, recruiter, goofball, and follower of Christ</a>, an assistant coach at Arizona who previously played a couple of years at Eastern Oklahoma State College. (It's fragile, maybe, but read the rules in the opening.) Smelkinson is the <a href="http://www.njcaa.org/newsArticle.cfm?articleId=21489" target=_blank>head coach at Harford Junior College</a> and played himself at Division 3 school St. Mary's Maryland. His name sounds like what kids in the playground might call the particularly pungent token stinky child, Michael Wilkinson. Every playground has a Mike Smelkinson.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Calamity McEntire or Mike Smelkinson?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget7076497928464138761' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/7076497928464138761/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(6) Gerald Fonzie v (11) Urban Rat</b></font><br /><br />Former Stephen F. Austin guard Fonzie is profiled in more depth <a href="http://www.njcaa.org/newsArticle.cfm?articleId=21489" target=_blank>here</a> by a staff writer who somehow exhibited the discipline to not make a Happy Days reference at any point. Not even a shark jumping joke. Rat, the only Slovenian on this list, is a young guard currently playing for Vrani Vransko <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oPxCI_J6UZ8/ToMmjfIkTdI/AAAAAAAAAuM/HIpmmtfu-S8/s1600/Urban%2BRat.jpg" target=_blank>whose name is also graffiti</a>, and probably a gang somewhere.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Gerald Fonzie or Urban Rat?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget3345228859906533615' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/3345228859906533615/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(3) Joo Suk v (14) Dennis Dunker</b></font><br /><br />Given that this is basketball, semi-professional German player Dennis, <a href="http://www.lokalkompass.de/oberhausen/sport/der-erste-sir-bump-a-lot-dennis-dunker-vom-rc-borken-hoxfeld-m1862133,347642.html" target=_blank>whose nickname appears to be Sir Bump-A-Lot</a>, is one of the more aptly named players around, alongside Jordair Jett, Shaquille Duncan and Adonis Jordan. [On that subject, British national team player and one time NBA draft pick Spencer Dunkley named his son "Slam", which is a tremendous effort on his part, but unfortunately Slam took up cross country running instead of basketball. Thanks a LOT, Slam.] As for Joo Suk, he is a former player of the Seoul SK Knights in South Korea, and although his full name is Joo Il Suk, I dropped the middle part for effect. I realise Korean names do not work in this way, but artistic license is employed.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Joo Suk or Dennis Dunker?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget7934777086314732492' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/7934777086314732492/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(7) Genesis Lightbourne v (10) Lekan Somefun</b></font><br /><br />Lightbourne is <a href="http://www.cyclones.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=46670&SPID=4253&DB_OEM_ID=10700&ATCLID=576722&Q_SEASON=2007" target=_blank>a former Iowa State player</a> and current bodybuilder whose name is not only biblically relevant but also has a great cadence. Former Grace College star turned businessman Lekan Somefun played several professional seasons in his native Holland, and his name suggests he is much less religious. <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1996-01-02/sports/sp-20191_1_head-coach" target=_blank>And that really is how he spells it.</a><br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Genesis Lightbourne or Lekan Somefun?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget1840868783912899547' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/1840868783912899547/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(2) Corperryale L'Adorable Harris v (15) Benjamin Bangard</b></font><br /><br />You will have heard of Corperryale L'Adorable, even if you don't think you have, for that is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manny_Harris" target=_blank>real full name of NBA player Manny Harris</a>. You won't have heard of Bangard, a player from Mauritius <a href="http://www.lemauricien.com/article/basketball-comite-disciplinaire-lourdes-suspensions-ally-et-drapnand" target=_blank>who likes a good scrap</a>, but by God you know what he's about. You can bangand or you can bangome.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Corperryale L'Adorable Harris or Benjamin Bangard?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='160' name='poll-widget-505865838794283057' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-505865838794283057/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><hr><br /><br /><font size="5"><b>Body Parts And Famous People Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Pee-Wee Gash v (16) Ronny Micock</b></font><br /><br />Gash, a one time Tennessee player, combines crude euphemisms for both male and female genitalia in his name and thus can be considered the ultimate combo guard. Micock, a player in <a href="http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=211587" target=_blank>the Seychelles of all places</a> (there really was no stone left unturned in researching this list), is a bit more simple in his genitalification.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Pee-Wee Gash or Ronny Micock?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-686797403793817501' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-686797403793817501/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(8) Picasso Simmons v (9) Tiago Casanova</b></font><br /><br />A slightly more artistic battle here, and certainly more poetic and workplace friendly than the tempestuous and childish battle above. Simmons scored <a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/40574/picasso-simmons" target=_blank>ten points in four years</a> for Murray State before presumably going on to develop a career in being a terrible painter who tried to pass off the results of powerful hallucinogenics as art. [Pablo Picasso's legacy still needs explaining to me, because I don't get it.] Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.planetabasket.pt/dev/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12753:guia-proliga-2010-11-norte&catid=76:proliga-noticias&Itemid=202" target=_blank>the young Portugese pro Casanova</a> has what is possibly the sexiest name in basketball. Much sexier than Pee-Wee Gash, to be sure. There's always two dates if your name is Tiago Casanova. She might have hated you on the first one, but even then, with that name, she'll <i>want</i> to like you.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Picasso Simmons or Tiago Casanova?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget9219360989259284643' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/9219360989259284643/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(5) Harvey Knuckles v (12) Genevieve Hyman</b></font><br /><br />Hyman isn't all that uncommon of a nickname, as famously evidenced by US swimming medallist Misty Hyman. There is also a basketball player called Travis Hyman from Bowie State who has made it all the way up to NBA summer league level. Nevertheless, Hyman is a particularly tough sell as a surname on a lady for obvious biological reasons, so <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaw/recap?gid=200902010413&prov=ap&print=1" target=_blank>one time NC Central forward Genevieve Hyman</a> takes the fall here. Harvey Knuckles, <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1981.html" target=_blank>the 39th pick in the 1981 NBA Draft</a>, sounds about as rock hard as it is possible for one man to sound. You wouldn't mess with a man called Harvey Knuckles.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Harvey Knuckles or Genevieve Hyman?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget8266293689568495128' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/8266293689568495128/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(4) Baskerville Holmes v (13) Willie Sweat</b></font><br /><br />Two solid names here requiring a bit of knowledge, <a href="http://espn.go.com/gen/s/2001/0604/1209374.html" target=_blank>one quite poetic and high brow</a> (literary fact: The Hound of the Baskervilles was the fourth Sherlock Holmes book written) and <a href="http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/40394/willie-sweat" target=_blank>one considerably less so</a> (terminology fact: in my country, the willy is a slang term for a man appendage). Note that like all participants, Baskerville, despite how sad and tragic his story is, is hereby judged on name alone.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Baskerville Holmes or Willie Sweat?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget605089095395471054' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/605089095395471054/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(6) Mark Asses v (11) Tracey Moustache</b></font><br /><br />Nothing clever going on here. Just some good old fashioned body parts, <a href="http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=207699" target=_blank>one optional</a>, one <a href="http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=207699" target=_blank>plentiful</a>.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Mark Asses or Tracey Moustache?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget1345973664024956603' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/1345973664024956603/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(3) Nelson Mandela v (14) Sydney Smallbone</b></font><br /><br />If your surname was Mandela, you'd name your son Nelson, and every other male relative in the family would be called it too. Fair enough, I guess. But <a href="http://basket-in-africa.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/kenya-under-18-boys-squad-starts-z5.html" target=_blank>that doesn't make this all that much less unlikely</a>. If your surname is Smallbone, though, nothing really helps, so you might as well be alliterative. <a href="http://www.utsports.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/smallbone_sydney01.html" target=_blank>And a girl.</a> <br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Nelson Mandela or Sydney Smallbone?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-1617302563837619066' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-1617302563837619066/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(7) Koomson Hitla v (10) Zach Stalin</b></font><br /><br />Information on the Ghanian college player Hitla is so scarce that <a href="http://capecoasthoops.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/cape-coast-hoops-takes-day.html" target=_blank>I can't even be sure which way around his name goes</a>. But what I do know is that the matchup against <a href="http://www.masters.edu/athletics/menssports/basketball/news/stalin-signs-with-mustangs.aspx" target=_blank>6'5 240lb NAIA power forward Stalin</a> was entirely an accident of seedings and was not in any deliberate manipulation on my part. In related news, I lied to you just now. <br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Koomson Hitla or Zach Stalin?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-1231541428106845471' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-1231541428106845471/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(2) Thankgod Moses v (15) Marvin Gay</b></font><br /><br />Nigerian professional <a href=http://www.afrobasket.com/player/Thankgod_Moses/221382" target=_blank>Thankgod</a> had parents clearly did not observe his semi-namesake's eleventh commandment, "thou shall really properly double check spelling and grammar on thine birth certificate, because thou only gets one shot at it and thy kids shall not suffer for your mistakes". Similarly, <a href="http://www.dodgecitylegend.com/news_2001.html" target=_blank>multi-year USBL player Marvin Gay</a> came up just one E short of parody. Although I guess it's one way to know that he's not actually the singer Marvin Gaye. (Another good way to tell the difference between them would be to find out which one is dead.)<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Thankgod Moses or Marvin Gay?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-7562586125663535636' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-7562586125663535636/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><hr><br /><br /><font size="5"><b>First Name Makes No Difference Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Phyllis Mangina v (16) Jan Moritz Overdick:</b></font><br /><br />Mangina is a legend at Seton Hall, having played and then coached there for many years. Nonetheless, she might well be better known for her surname, which records <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mangina" target=_blank>a whopping 142 separate entries on urbandictionary.com</a>, all of them fictional, and none of which are particularly endearing. Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mangina" target=_blank>German prospect J-Mo</a> looks a bit like Kristen Stewart during her postmodernist elf era, and has no entries on urbandictionary.com, although we can readily imagine what one might say.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Phyllis Mangina or Jan Moritz Overdick?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-1856174395347761904' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-1856174395347761904/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(8) Tyrone Manlove v (9) Starr Breedlove</b></font><br /><br />There's a lot of love in this matchup, <a href="http://www.gocards.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/starr_breedlove_864238.html" target=_blank>some biblically sanctioned</a>, <a href="http://newsok.com/a-hot-time-in-the-old-town-waylands-thurman-sweats-out-win-over-ocu/article/2687096" target=_blank>some not.</a> I don't intend to influence this or indeed any vote, but just know that if the higher seed prevails here, the world becomes that much more accepting of homosexuality. So in essence, an eternity of bigotry and segregation rides on the outcome of this ostensibly meaningless competition. So no pressure there or anything.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Tyrone Manlove or Starr Breedlove?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-2679694685093638801' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-2679694685093638801/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(5) Elvis Old Bull v (12) Chris GooGoo</b></font><br /><br />Elvis Old Bull Jr was a player at <a href="http://photos.rocky.edu/Sports/Mens-Basketball/Mens-Basketball-Individual-1/6170310_htXWBj/388960221_CTR99BZ#!i=388960221&k=CTR99BZ" target=_blank>NAIA school Rocky Mountain College</a>, and the son of Indian basketball great Elvis Old Bull Sr. (Elvis has another son called Gavin playing at Little Big Horn College, but that's not as fun. More on that institution later.) Three part names are always fun to me, especially those derived with Native American origins, but as 5 v 12 matchups go, there is upset potential in the form of <a href="http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Chris_Googoo/51278" target=_blank>former British professional player Chris GooGoo</a>, who apparently liked his first words on this Earth enough to stick with them for eternity.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Elvis Old Bull or Chris GooGoo?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-6514765069460513241' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-6514765069460513241/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(4) Peter Jurkin v (13) Keene Cockburn</b></font><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hilltoppersports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=548" target=_blank>Keene Cockburn</a> is what you get if you do too much <a href="http://www.iuhoosiers.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/peter_jurkin_814319.html" target=_blank>Peter Jurkin</a>.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Peter Jurkin or Keene Cockburn?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-7915230363548110715' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-7915230363548110715/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(6) Young Gi Bang v (11) Irene Flapper</b></font><br /><br />As is often the way with Korean names, English translations of them <a href="http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Younggi-Bang/Summary/25846" target=_blank>tend to offer some variation in quite how to organise the syllables</a>. Personally, I'm hoping that when he is drafted in 2016, we can go for Bang Young Gi. [A reminder once again of what was said in the opening - it doesn't matter how a name is <i>actually</i> pronounced, only how it looks like it might be to an English speaker with no worldly linguistics knowledge.] Flapper, who played two decades of professional European ball, is <a href="http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/107453141084246212/" target=_blank>also apparently a type of headpiece</a>.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Young Gi Bang or Irene Flapper?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-2954415264791878909' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-2954415264791878909/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(3) Dave Poon v (14) Mark Gayman</b></font><br /><br />Our condolences go out to <a href="http://www.ibl.com/documents/MicrosoftWord-OaklandfallstoSaleminovertime_000.pdf" target=_blank>one time minor leaguer Mark,</a> who perhaps more than everyone else on this list has had to spend so much time explaining to (and hearing unwanted feedback about) his name. Unfortunately, I should think it highly unlikely he gets even the mild consolation of a first round victory in an online name bracket tournament for his troubles, as he finds himself here in a very difficult matchup against the immortally named Dave Poon, a man with ruthless simplicity on his side. Or should I say "men" - the best part is, there are <a href="http://www.balloholic.com/about/head-balloholic" target=_blank>two</a> Dave <a href="http://hk.linkedin.com/in/poonhoyin" target=_blank>Poons</a>.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Dave Poon[s] or Mark Gayman?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-1242237314896052595' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-1242237314896052595/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(7) Leo Goes Ahead v (10) JoJo Longalong</b></font><br /><br />Remember Gavin Old Bull from above? <a href="http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2012-13/div1/players/leogoesahead7ads?view=splits" target=_blank>Leo Goes Ahead</a> is his teammate. And JoJo Longalong, OBVIOUSLY, once played for a team called <a href="http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-8406-0-0-0&sID=222041&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=16709607" target=_blank>Power Horse Energy Drink</a>, because of course he did. An enjoyable matchup with real depth here.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Leo Goes Ahead or JoJo Longalong?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget7931919179726905118' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/7931919179726905118/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(2) Marshall Cabbagestalk v (15) Martin Gotthardt</b></font><br /><br />Martin Gotthardt is <a href="http://www.cbf.cz/souteze/hrac_57067_soutez_507.html" target=_blank>a Czech player of several seasons</a>. Good for him. Now let's deal with Marshall, <a href="http://www.cokercobras.com/sports/mbkb/2012-13/bios/cabbagestalk_marshall_sudt" target=_blank>a guard from Coker College</a> and the closest thing this tournament has to the previous tournament's <a href="http://www.huntingdonhawks.com/sports/mbkb/2011-12/bios/turnipseed%20d-awvalo%20dvlb" target=_blank>D'Awvalo Turnipseed</a>. It seems self-evident that Marshall's name, some how and some way in some time likely far away, stemmed from some farming related thing somewhere. Most names have some bizarre industry-based origins somewhere. But why Cabbagestalk? Who once saw a cabbage and saw fit to name himself, his family and his legacy after it? And which is it supposed to be, anyway? Is it Cabbage Stalk or Cabbages Talk? How many syllables are we dealing with here? Are we dealing merely with a boring biological fieldnote that cabbages have stalks (they do!), or the inane archaic ramblings of a man who once either wondered whether or wished that cabbages can talk (they do not)? And more immediately, when I searched the internet for basketball players with 'cabbage' in their name, what else could I have done with that time?<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Marshall Cabbagestalk or Martin Gotthardt?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget4810878677917346292' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/4810878677917346292/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><hr><br /><br /><font size="5"><b>First Name Makes All The Difference Regional</b></font><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(1) Fonda Dicks v (16) Harlee Wood</b></font><br /><br />Fonda Dicks is <a href="http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bVH4YNnJQCYC&pg=PT63&lpg=PT63&dq=%22fonda+dicks%22+moravia&source=bl&ots=KDkntWCur0&sig=lxXAmgKSVrrtSulwmzkxCAfIYJ4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=f48FVLqTEIHK0QX7sIDQDQ&ved=0CFkQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=%22fonda%20dicks%22%20moravia&f=false" target=_blank>a legendary female player</a> and coach who, despite internet legend, did not marry a man named Randy Peters. As for <a href="http://www.hamilton.edu/athletics/mens-basketball/1000" target=_blank>Harlee Wood.......I see what you did there.</a> Fair play to your parents.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Fonda Dicks or Harlee Wood?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-2810601026105393253' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-2810601026105393253/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(8) Wyatt Skunk Cap v (9) D'Olajuwon Swanks</b></font><br /><br /><a href="http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/dolajuwon-swanks/Tg4by3STEeOzMAAmVebBJg/default.htm" target=_blank>High school player Swanks</a> (I bent the rules a bit, shut up) has such a fine cadence and rhythm to his name that it doesn't even really matter if you don't get the reference in the first bit. This is often the case with names that feature a four syllable first name and a one syllable second name: see also, Horatio Kane, Jamario Moon and Penelope Keith. Wyatt Skunk Cap, <a href="http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2013-14/div1/players/wyattskunkcapc5ij" target=_blank>another Little Big Horn College player</a>, counters with a three parter including two random nouns. It's a strong matchup in what will be seen to be certainly the strongest regional of the entire bracket.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Wyatt Skunk Cap or D'Olajuwon Swanks?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-3725263884207214579' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-3725263884207214579/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(5) LaShawn Medicine Horn v (12) Dick Ricketts</b></font><br /><br />Another random double-nouner here in Medicine Horn, a <a href="http://www.dwuathletics.com/womens-athletics/basketball/womens-basketball-2012/lashawn-medicine-horn/" target=_blank>Dakota Wesleyan basketball player and high jumper</a> who appears to rock out the full name with pride. Good for her. Former NBA player <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Ricketts" target=_blank>Dick Ricketts</a> tries to counter with a genital/disease pincer movement, but LaShawn's combo is strong in its uniqueness.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>LaShawn Medicine Horn or Dick Ricketts?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget8606768341900030971' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/8606768341900030971/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(4) Squirtisha Moore v (13) Dane Bacon</b></font><br /><br />A salute to <a href="http://www.theindependent.com/college-men-s-basketball-hastings-dordt-dane-bacon-chris-sievers/image_9a83fa80-5569-11e2-9c3f-0019bb2963f4.html" target=_blank>Hastings College player Dane Bacon</a> for embracing the word play in his name. (It would really help right here if you knew what Danish bacon was.) He could have hidden behind something else, but he didn't, and that is the correct way. One time basketball player turned track runner Squirtisha Moore has few options for concealing her name, unfortunately.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Squirtisha Moore or Dane Bacon?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget132330639276093308' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/132330639276093308/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(6) Man Sze Wong v (11) Lady Grooms</b></font><br /><br />There is no "i" in Sze, and no "a" in Wong, but <a href="http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/111365/sid/6576/tid/298/tid2//_/2013_FIBA_Asia_Championship_for_Women/index.html" target=_blank>you get the idea</a>. As for Lady Grooms, the former WNBA player continues Lady Comfort's legacy from the first installment of ensuring a player in each bracket whose name sounds more like a hygiene product, but the regality of the forename restored any lost dignity.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Man Sze Wong or Lady Grooms?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget7163739077986796019' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/7163739077986796019/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(3) Ivana Mandic v (14) World B. Free</b></font><br /><br />The policy this tournament holds towards nicknames is that if they are so regularly used so as to be the main way to refer to the player, they are accepted as the player's name. This is what allowed for Spongy Benjamin to make the strong showing that he did in tournament number one, and although the one time Lloyd Free actually changed his legally a long time ago, he would have sufficed due to this rule anyway. As for <a href="http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/103102aac.html" target=_blank>Ivana</a>, she somewhat moved away from the Austen Powers-y nature of her birth name by revising it to Ivi Mandic, but for our purposes here, it matters not how she masks or pronounces it.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Ivana Mandic or World B. Free?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-2326550072970196181' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-2326550072970196181/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(7) Deejay Lazy Boy v (10) Volkan Dik</b></font><br /><br />Somehow, <a href="http://www.turksports.net/b_oyuncu.asp?tablo=162&kat=136" target=_blank>both of these</a> are <a href="http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2013-14/div1/players/deejaylazyboynvvv" target=_blank>completely real.</a><br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Deejay Lazy Boy or Volkan Dik?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget-6816744163427491979' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-6816744163427491979/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br /><font size="3"><b>(2) Majestic Mapp v (15) B.J. Battle</b></font><br /><br />Majestic, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/majestic-mapp-promising-hoops-career-cut-short-knee-injury-making-return-court-article-1.145648" target=_blank>a former Virginia guard and former All-American</a>, is the brother of Scientific Mapp, who made a terrific run to the Final Four of the initial tournament (losing only to eventual winner Steeve Ho You Fat) after being criminally underseeded at a lowly #10. Lesson learned - Majestic is in at #2. This is bad news for B.J. Battle, <a href="http://www.csucougars.com/sports/mbkb/2012-13/bios/battle_bj_44un" target=_blank>Columbus State guard</a> and a man who definitely did not win the bidding on his own URL name. I checked so that you don't have to.<br /><br /><h2 class='title'>Majestic Mapp or B.J. Battle?</h2><div class='widget-content' id='widget-content'><iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='140' name='poll-widget3631555162933578551' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/3631555162933578551/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23333333&lnkclr=%238F3110&chrtclr=%238F3110&font=normal+normal+100%25+Arial,+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http://www.shamsports.com/' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe></div><br /><br />Voting for the first round closes at midnight Sunday night Pacific time, or 3am Monday morning Eastern. Vote now, and spread the word. If not for me, do it for Marshall Cabbagestalk.<br />Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-22127871514295007302014-08-16T02:22:00.000+01:002014-11-13T02:36:51.627+00:00Sorry guys, Carmelo Anthony did not get $62 million in advance(originally posted elsewhere)<br /><br />For the most part, NBA players are paid on the first and fifteenth of every month, with a standard of 24 paydays per calendar year. Players earning more than the minimum can agree to 12 payments over six months or 36 payments over eighteen months, yet the norm is the norm.<br /><br />There is room for some further deviation from these standards. Players can receive both advances on their salary, and receive loans from their teams.<br /><br />There is not, however, room for the amount of deviation that is currently being reported in the case of Carmelo Anthony.<br /><br />It is being reported in several places around the web, most notably (and I believe initially) <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/knicks-carmelo-anthony-takes-62-million-advance-1408146976" target=_blank>the Wall Street Journal</a>, that Melo received 50% of his new $124,064,681 contract in one up front payment. Admittedly, it is not so much expressly stated as it is implied that this is the case, but whichever it is, the idea it spawned that he will or might have already gotten $62 million is wrong. The confusion comes from a misunderstanding about how, when and to what degree NBA contracts can be advanced, a confusion I hope to clarify here.<br /><br />The first and most important point to make is that salary for a future season can <i>never ever</i> be advanced. NBA seasons begin on July 1st and end on June 30th, so if it is October 6th 2014 and you want an advance on your 2015/16 salary, you are begrudgingly going to have to wait until July 1st 2015 to get so much as a piece of it. This rule alone is enough to show that the idea that Melo received a full 50% of the full life of the contract up front is false.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />There is, however, a reason the story exists, for the 50% threshold comes from somewhere. What players earning more than the minimum <i>can</i> do is receive an amount for up to 50% of their annual base salary prior to the November 15th of that season. In practical terms, what that means is if you have a $12 million salary in one season, you can receive up to $6 million of it before November 15th, only 25% of which can be before October 1st. [For minimum salary players, change the 50% limit to a mere 7.5%.] When considering the the previous provision that no salary in future seasons can be advanced, we are now looking at a situation whereby the most a player can receive immediately upon signing a deal is 25% of the first year base salary. And that is considerably less than 50% of the whole shaboodle.<br /><br />This, then, is what Carmelo did, and therein lies the confusion as to what that 50% designation means. He did not get 50% of his contract up front. He merely will receive some of it earlier than it could have been, in a series of advances stretching throughout the life of the contract.<br /><br />This is not all that common, but is not unprecedent or rare. Many players - especially rookies on rookie scale contracts who almost always get at least something - have some money advanced to them, and some even have the full 50% designated in this way. As has been cited alongside the Melo story, his team mate J.R. Smith also has this full 50% advance stipulated in his contract, but so do others, including Pau Gasol's new deal with Chicago, while Cleveland gave 50% advances to all three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Mike Miller this summer. Chris Bosh's new contract with Miami calls for a highly comparable 40% advance, should we wish to keep naming names. Of all the new contracts handed out this offseason, approximately 50 call for some sort of advance, and while some of those advances are a mere $50,000 or so, some are as big as it gets.<br /><br />[It is possible that Melo did indeed get his $62 million in advance from a bank or private lender, I suppose. But that is not what was being discussed here, and certainly not what was reported. If this is true, this is coincidental.]<br /><br />So no, Carmelo did not receive $62,032,340 of his contract up front. At most, he received $5,614,600. We generally do not talk about NBA player payment schedules because, unless you directly pay or receive the checks yourself, they do not matter significantly from the point of view of roster management. However, if we are to do it, we must do so properly.<br />Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-84757083372327543132014-08-07T01:26:00.001+01:002014-08-07T02:05:10.736+01:00Jusuf Nurkic revisited<a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/08/without-looking-guess-which-first-round.html" target=_blank>This post</a> from yesterday talks about how Nuggets drafteee Jusuf Nurkic was set to receive less than 120% of the rookie scale, the customary amount. And in doing so, it was mentioned that he would be the highest first round pick to ever do so.<br /><br />Not quite. It turns out this is a misreporting on my part. Nurkic will receive less than the salary of the 120% rookie scale amount, but he will count on the cap for the 120% amount. Nurkic's buyout with Cedevita was for larger than the amount NBA teams can pay cap-exempt ($600,000 this season), and while teams are eligible to pay more than that amount in an international player's buyout, they must do so by putting any amount greater than that paid into the cap hit in the form of a signing bonus. This is not especially to do in a rookie scale contract, with its fixed parameters, but it is doable if sufficiently small. The figures listed for Nurkic were an even $350,000 smaller than what the full rookie scale would have been, and that is the extra amount of buyout Denver paid, charged as a signing bonus. <br /><br />These rules were known to me, of course, and the practice is not uncommon. Bismack Biyombo, Andrea Bargnani and several others have been in this same situation, getting less than the full 120% in actual salary yet counting against the cap as the full 120% (and to anyone other than the people signing and receiving the cheques, i.e. us team building fans, only the cap number matters). Nevertheless, it was understood in the instance that the figures given were the actual cap hits and thus included the buyout signing bonus. It was counter checked and passed both tests. And yet now the opposite is said to be true, that Nurkic is signed for the full 120%, and that the whole issue is irrelevant.<br /><br />There is a process we (I) go through in order to get salary information. It does not always work.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-31780345736207497062014-08-04T19:48:00.002+01:002014-08-04T19:51:35.430+01:00Without looking, guess which first round draft pick didn't get the full 120% of the rookie scale this yearAnswer after the jump.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>(this is the jump)<br /><br />The answer is Jusuf Nurkic of the Denver Nuggets. His contract calls for 108% of the scale in year one ($1,562,680), 107% in year two ($1,642,000), and then 120% in years three and four ($1,921,320 and $2,947,300 respecitvely). That adds him to an exclusive and small club of non-120%ers, including Raul Lopez, George Hill, Ian Mahinmi, James Anderson, Sergio Rodriguez, MarShon Brooks, and probably some others. It is believed that Nurkic, a #16 pick, is the highest drafted player to ever not receive the full amount.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-83934431183633173852014-07-23T02:24:00.000+01:002014-11-13T02:40:26.625+00:00Josh Huestis's D-League adventure, a misplaced exercise in loyalty(originally published elsewhere)<br /><br />A few days ago, Darnell Mayberry broke the story that <a href="http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-why-josh-huestis-might-become-the-nbas-first-domestic-draft-and-stash-player/article/5006034" target=_blank>Oklahoma City Thunder draft pick Josh Huestis might spend next year in the D-League</a>, collecting a mere $25,000 or so salary, rather than sign in the NBA. This would be groundbreaking, not as the first first rounder to not sign immediately in the NBA (this happens quite often), but as the first to do so who instead signs in the D-League. <br /><br />It also makes absolutely no sense on the face of it. As useful as the D-League can be, its salaries are extremely uncompetitive. Players are paid by the league in one of three salary brackets, determined by their ability, and even though Huestis would no doubt be worthy of the highest D-League salary possible, that figure is still paltry. It will be comparable before tax with what an NBA 10 day contract pays, and when I say 'comparable with', I mean 'slightly lower than'.<br /><br />Huestis would be doing so because the Thunder asked him to, in a pre-arranged deal running unnervingly close to the line. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/7/23/5925979/josh-huestis-thunder-nba-rookie-d-league" target=_blank>Tom Ziller speculated it</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/492032376391102464" target=_blank>Zach Lowe confirmed it</a>. The projected second round or undrafted player going in the first round was indeed a eye opener, and it follows that, given that they may have been alone in wanting to take him that high, the Thunder felt they had the leverage to lean on him in this way. Apparently, to agent Mitchell Butler, the fact that it is the Thunder makes it all worthwhile.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />An analogous situation here is that of George Hill with the San Antonio Spurs in 2008. The Spurs took the IUPUI guard in the first round when no one expected them to, and used this as a means of leveraging him into accepting less than the customary 120% on his rookie scale contract (one of only a handful of players ever to do so). Hill ended up with a contract paying 120% in the first two years but then only 80% in the final two - indeed, his 80% in the third year was such a low amount that it was actually lower than the minimum salary, and so the NBA had to modify his salary upwards to the league minimum. <br /><br />Huestis, however, is all in for more than that. Rather than just taking less in his rookie deal, he is forgoing a year of salary altogether, save for some D-League dregs. And why? Because....well, because he's nice. Or loyal. Or gullible. Or some combination thereof.<br /><br />The NBA draft is a bizarre vehicle at the best of times. Bartered between the league, its teams and its current players - and not, it must be remembered, those it will actually effect - the draft is a means of controlling any young player worth a damn. Young players are told where they are going to play, and pretty much told how much they are going to play for. Now, apparently, they are also to have even less control as to when they can do it.<br /><br />Only one party benefits here, and that is the Thunder. Huestis gains little apart from the thanks of the Thunder, and all that will get him is a 120% rookie scale deal next summer, one he ought be entitled to receive this summer anyway.<br /><br />Players drafted in the first round are bound by the rookie salary scale for their first three years after being selected, a predetermined amount of money they must sign for in which they have very little say. They can sign for as much as 80% of the amount or as much as 120%, and any amount in between, but nothing more or less than that. To keep a first round pick's draft rights, the team must offer a 'required tender' on or before the July 15th immediately after the draft (or, if applicable if the player does not sign in that first season, any relevant subsequent seasons). That required tender must be a contract that satisfies the requirements of the Rookie Salary Exception, which means it must be a rookie scale contract of a permissible amount.<br /><br />Offering 80% of the rookie scale would suffice to meet this criteria. Just to have Huestis's draft rights, then, the Thunder are required to offer him a guaranteed two year contract worth $1,579,459 - 80% of the rookie scale $918,000 for the 29th pick in the first year ($734,400), and then $845,059 in year two (the sophomore minimum, for it is larger than the $767,520 that 80% of the second year rookie scale salary of $958,400 would offer). That is the bare minimum amount of money available to Huestis today - in all likelihood, he would also be a strong candidate to have his third year option of $980,431 (again a modified minimum amount) and his fourth year option of $1,769,678 both exercised, for a total minimum tender offer of $4,329,568. That is on the table right now, at the bare minimum, and $1,579,459 of it is his regardless.<br /><br />And of course, all this assumes the Thunder do not move beyond the 80% at any point. Were Huestis to take the full 120%, he would earn $5,621,236 over those same four years, with $2,252,880 guaranteed in the first two. That is what he is turning down for less than $30,000 in the D-League. And all because they asked. Even if we assume it really is a case of 80% if he does not play ball and 120% if he does, that is still (assuming a $25,000 D-League salary, which is a slightly lower amount than what his D-League salary will actually be) a $1,579,459 guaranteed salary over two years or a $2,287,880 salary over three. <br /><br />Therefore, even if the Thunder really do only offer more than the 80% if Huestis goes to the D-League first (which we cannot decisively say is true), and take this stance even more strongly by declining his third year option, Huesties will still earn more by taking the tender and a subsequent $980,431 minimum salary. He would do without the shackles of his drafting team being the only one he can negotiate with, and he would also do it without the burden of restricted free agency, for players who had rookie scale options declined cannot be made into restricted free agents. Huestis therefore sacrifices money and freedom in order to gain......errr, support? Thanks? A salary increase that does not offset the salary towelling he takes in the interim? <br /><br />(If the Thunder rescinded the tender, which they are allowed to do, they would not be allowed to sign him as a free agent until Huestis had signed with another NBA team first, and either completed that contract or was waived.)<br /><br />Moreover, all this ignores one thing. If Huestis really is not going to sign in the NBA next year, fine, but this does not mean it has to be the D-League. He and his representatives <i>agreed</i> to go to the D-League, sure, but there is nothing binding them to it save for a promise. There are plenty of good leagues with plenty of good money that Huestis, a player who just gave his marketable skill away for free for four years, ought consider.<br /><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/492033386354311169" target=_Blank>Maybe he really means it when he says he doesn't want to go to Europe</a>. But Emmanuel Mudiay probably didn't think going overseas was the best idea, either, until someone offered him a million dollars to reconsider. Brandon Jennings likely had not considered it at one point, either, until the sheer size of the paycheck changed a few minds. Huestis stands to gain very little from this agreement, least of all money. The playing time and development excuses will probably be bandied about as a reason for Huestis's decision, but if he thinks he cannot get playing time and development opportunities in Europe, with the right gig, then he has not been looking.<br /><br />Accept the tender, Josh. They are contractually compelled to give it to you and you are surely morally bound to take it. If you only get the 80%, then, well, you were otherwise only going in the second round anyway, where two guaranteed years is no automatic thing. Take it and play no games. Get yours. The Thunder can make you promises that I have absolutely no doubt they intend to keep. But promises get broken. Read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Shots-Bizarre-Battles-Incredible/dp/0061373907" target=_blank>Keith Glass's book</a>, for example. It happens. <br /><br />It may well work out exactly the way you forecast it will. Indeed, I have no doubts that it will. No one is entering this agreement with the intent to break it. But that does not make it worth it. A million dollars is yours right now with one phone call, and you're walking away from it, under the guise of some greater good. It might not be there next time, fella, because as much as everyone is on board now, things change. Take it. Risk nothing. In risking it, you gain nothing. Accept the tender they are obliged to give you. Force their hand. Win that spot off Hasheem Thabeet. Start your NBA career. Live your dream. Get paid a million to do it.<br /><br />And if they rescind it? Congratulations. Enjoy the free market. It'll pay you more than this conscription ever would.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-28406780382959509192014-07-17T15:08:00.001+01:002014-07-17T16:35:33.087+01:00The amount of cap room teams have remainingThe bulk of free agency is behind us, maybe, but we're far from done. There follows a look at how much cap space NBA teams still have outstanding, which, with the exception of the occasions I blatantly do the opposite, will be presented without analysis as to how the situation came about.<br /><br />All the teams that have cap space, or have had cap space this offseason, are included in the list. That is a total of fifteen teams and half the league. The other fifteen - Boston, Brooklyn, Denver, Golden State, Indiana, L.A. Clippers, Memphis, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma City, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Toronto and Washington - are not mentioned at all.<br /><br />All salary information is taken from <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/index.jsp">this website's own salary pages</a>. All figures taken from the day of publication - if subsequent trades/signings are made, then adjust accordingly.<br /><br />It is vital - VITAL - that you understand what a "cap hold" is before you read this. An explanation can be found <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/freeagentcapholds.jsp#explanation">here.</a><br /><br />Players with asterisks by their names are not under contract with the team, and cap holds are separated from active contracts by the use of a simple link break.<br /><br /><hr><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/hawks.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/hawks.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Atlanta Hawks</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $48,416,058 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/hawks.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> $10,839,436<br /><br /><br />Atlanta has made only one signing in free agency, facilitated by one trade, and the money jointly spent on Thabo Sefolosha and John Salmons is actually less than the money they were due to spend on Louis Williams. They started with cap space, added more possibly unnecessarily, and still haven't used up the extra bit, let alone dip into the reserves. I say "possibly unnecessarily" because it does not appear as though they have looked to do much with it, got shot down when they did, and the list of candidates is really running out. Here is their current position:<br /><br />Al Horford - $12,000,000<br />Paul Millsap - $9,500,000<br />Jeff Teague - $8,000,000<br />Kyle Korver - $6,253,521<br />Thabo Sefolosha - $4,150,000<br />DeMarre Carroll - $2,442,455<br />Dennis Schroder - $1,690,680<br />John Jenkins - $1,312,920<br />Pero Antic - $1,250,000<br />John Salmons* - $1,000,000<br />Mike Muscala - $816,482<br /><br />Elton Brand* - $4,800,000<br />Gustavo Ayon* - $2,850,000 <br />Adreian Payne* - $1,546,100<br />Shelvin Mack* - $1,148,163<br />Mike Scott* - $1,115,243 <br />Cartier Martin* - $915,243<br /><br />Renouce Ayon, Brand and Martin, and that's $10,839,436 to spend in cap space. But what on?<br /><br />They need an extra big and an extra scoring guard. Which they could have had in Lou Williams and Lucas Nogueira. Which they traded for a chance at star power. Which they got absolutely no bites on. The decent but low ceilinged Hawks need a great infusion of talent, something they don't have and stand no obvious chance of getting, despite the spending power. They could at least give it a go with Eric Bledsoe, however inevitable a matched offer sheet is. As it is, the Hawks gave up two of their very few assets for what has amounted to no returning assets. Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha don't count. Could a deal to create space not have been worked out <i>after</i> they had found someone to use it on? It's what Cleveland did.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/hornets.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/hornets.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Charlotte Hornets</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $39,858,252 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/hornets.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> None, or maybe only a bit<br /><br /><br />As can be seen, the Hornets at the moment have plenty of cap space remaining:<br /><br />Al Jefferson - $13,500,000<br />Gerald Henderson - $6,000,000<br />Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - $5,016,960<br />Cody Zeller - $4,030,560<br />Bismack Biyombo - $3,873,398<br />Kemba Walker - $3,272,091<br />Gary Neal - $3,250,000<br />Jeffrey Taylor - $915,243<br /><br />Noah Vonleh* - $2,103,500<br />P.J. Hairston* - $958,100<br />Roster charge - $507,336<br />Roster charge - $507,336<br /><br />Total - $43,934,524 = $19,130,476 in cap space.<br /><br /><br />It won't last, though. Agreements with Lance Stephenson (three years and $27.5 million), Marvin Williams (two years and $14 million) and Brian Roberts (two years and $5.5 million) will gobble up the remainder. This might be revisited once figures for Williams and Stephenson are in - if Roberts subsequently takes the room exception, Charlotte might have room for one more.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/bulls.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/bulls.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chicago Bulls</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $46,703,593 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/bulls.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> $11,358,463<br /><br /><br />The Bulls have amnestied Carlos Boozer, traded Greg Smith and Anthony Randolph, and waived the trio of Mike James, Ronnie Brewer and Lou Amundson. That has cleared up the cap a ton:<br /><br />Derrick Rose - $18,862,876<br />Joakim Noah - $12,700,000<br />Taj Gibson - $8,000,000<br />Mike Dunleavy - $3,326,235<br />Jimmy Butler - $2,008,748<br />Tony Snell - $1,472,400<br />Richard Hamilton* - $333,334<br /><br />Kirk Hinrich* - $5,276,700<br />Doug McDermott* - $1,898,300<br />Nikola Mirotic* - $1,075,300<br />Daequan Cook* - $915,243<br />Jimmer Fredette* - $915,243<br />Nazr Mohammmed* - $915,243<br />Vladimir Radmanovic* - $915,243<br />Brian Scalabrine* - $915,243<br /><br /><br />There are still many free agent cap holds there, but they can all be renounced quite readily. (Hinrich, the only one who might command more than the minimum, is said to have already agreed to take the room exception.) Renounce them all, tack on four roster charges, and the Bulls have $11,358,463 in cap space. And in some form, it's going to Mirotic and Pau Gasol.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/cavaliers.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/cavaliers.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cleveland Cavaliers</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $56,030,677 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/cavaliers.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> Dregs<br /><br /><br />LeBron James - $20,644,400<br />Anderson Varejao - $9,704,545<br />Kyrie Irving - $7,070,730<br />Anthony Bennett - $5,563,920<br />Tristan Thompson - $5,138,430<br />Dion Waiters - $4,062,000<br />Brendan Haywood - $2,213,688<br />Carrick Felix - $816,482<br />Matthew Dellavedova - $816,482<br /><br />Andrew Wiggins* - $4,592,200<br />Roster charge - $507,336<br />Roster charge - $507,336<br /><br /><br />Adding up all of that totals $61,637,549, offering up $1,427,451 in cap space. That number can be increased by waiving the unguaranteed contract of Dellavedova, although he has done nothing to deserve it. Mike Miller has agreed to sign, albeit for more than that amount, and thus likely for the room exception. Ray Allen is the other target, but that amount is less than his minimum. It seems more likely that this amount is used on second round picks Joe Harris and Dwight Powell, getting them three year contracts.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/mavericks.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/mavericks.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dallas Mavericks</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $58,171,433 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/mavericks.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> Effectively none<br /><br /><br />Tyson Chandler - $14,846,888<br />Chandler Parsons - $14,700,000<br />Monta Ellis - $8,360,000<br />Dirk Nowitzki - $7,974,482<br />Brandan Wright - $5,000,000<br />Raymond Felton - $3,793,693<br />Greg Smith - $948,163<br />Jae Crowder - $915,243<br />Ricky Ledo - $816,482<br />Gal Mekel - $816,482<br /><br />DeJuan Blair* - $915,243<br />Devin Harris* - $915,243<br />Bernard James* - $915,243<br />Petteri Koponen* - $911,400<br /><br /><br />Total - $61,828,562 - $1,236,438 in cap space<br /><br />Koponen and James mean nothing, but Blair is to be signed and traded to the Wizards (presumably for Melvin Ely and some <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/07/consideration-in-trades-and-trade.html">obligatory</a> other minor consideration), a transaction which requires a small amount of cap space to complete. And even though a decent amount of space will be opened up after than and the renouncements/expunging of the other two, it's all going to Harris.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/pistons.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/pistons.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Detroit Pistons</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $51,413,230 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/pistons.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> $1,935,635<br /><br />The Pistons have signed three players - Jodie Meeks, D.J. Augustin and Caron Butler - which has been pretty much the end of their cap space. They still have agreements to fulfil with Aaron Gray and Cartier Martin, but the minimum salary and room exception ought cover it. Greg Monroe's cap hold is the culprit here, and that's not going to change. <br /><br />At least, not for now. Someone on this list may come in for Monroe - Atlanta seems like they ought - which could offer a testing contract for a player whom they ideally need value from but who just isn't fitting. And various connotations of the Josh Smith to Sacramento trade, should it go down, might open up some space. As of right now, the cap space has pretty much been used up, with the dregs potentially earmarked for Gray (either that or the room exception). But never say never.<br /><br /><br />Josh Smith - $13,500,000<br />Brandon Jennings - $8,000,000<br />Jodie Meeks - $6,000,000<br />Caron Butler - $4,500,000<br />Jonas Jerebko - $4,500,000<br />D.J. Augustin - $3,000,000<br />Will Bynum - $2,915,908<br />Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - $2,772,480<br />Andre Drummond - $2,568,360<br />Luigi Datome - $1,750,000<br />Kyle Singler - $1,090,000<br />Tony Mitchell - $816,482<br /><br />Greg Monroe* - $10,216,135<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/rockets.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/rockets.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Houston Rockets</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $56,156,175 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/rockets.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> $11,147,981<br /><br />After whatever, this is the current situation:<br /><br />Dwight Howard - $21,436,271<br />James Harden - $14,728,844<br />Trevor Ariza - $8,579,089<br />Alonzo Gee - $3,000,000<br />Terrence Jones - $1,618,680<br />Donatas Motiejunas - $1,483,920<br />Scotty Hopson - $1,450,878<br />Josh Powell - $1,310,286<br />Patrick Beverley - $915,243<br />Isaiah Canaan - $816,482<br />Robert Covington - $816,482<br />Troy Daniels - $816,482<br /><br />Jordan Hamilton* - $2,109,294<br />Clint Capela* - $991,000<br />Francisco Garcia* - $915,243<br /><br /><br />The figure above assumes the waivings of Gee, Hopson and Powell, all unguaranteed and used only as contractual pieces. Covington is only $150,000 and could be waived, although this would mean only a $150,000 saving once a roster charge is accounted for and thus likely not worth it, and while Beverley's deal is fully unguaranteed, he is not being waived. The above figure also assumes the renouncements of Hamilton and Garcia (who can always get minimum contracts post-cap space if needs be), and the removal of Capela's cap hold. Houston have supposedly agreed to sign Kostas Papanikolaou, Joey Dorsey and Nick Johnson, which will cut into that figure. But if they and Ariza are the haul....<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/lakers.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/lakers.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>L.A. Lakers</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $46,403,492 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/lakers.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> A dollop, maybe (see below)<br /><br /><br />After striking out on the big names, the Lakers acquired Jeremy Lin and signed their draft pick, Julius Randle. That will frankly be the bulk of their business. The situation they have is thus:<br /><br />Kobe Bryant - $23,500,000<br />Steve Nash - $9,701,000<br />Jeremy Lin - $8,374,646<br />Julius Randle - $2.997,360<br />Kendall Marshall - $915,243<br />Robert Sacre - $915,243<br /><br />Jordan Hill* - $6,770,840<br />MarShon Brooks* - $2,179,354<br />Ryan Kelly* - $1,016,482<br />Kent Bazemore* - $915,243<br />Andrew Goudelock* - $915,243<br />Xavier Henry* - $915,243<br />Wesley Johnson* - $915,243<br />Nick Young* - $915,243<br /><br /><br />Those contracts and cap holds total $60,946,383. Hill and Young are going to re-sign with the team, but the Lakers have only non-Bird rights on Young, which would limit them to a contract starting at only 120% of the minimum were they to use them, which is not nearly enough for this purpose. So they will have to re-sign Young using the cap space they have remaining, and any more they open up. <br /><br />They will open up a shred more through renouncements alone, albeit not huge amounts, since only Hill has a big hold. They can re-sign Hill with Bird rights, but only if they don't renounce him, thus his cap hold must sustain. In practice, Bazemore's cap hold will be removed when he joins Atlanta, Brooks and Goudelock will be renounced, and then Young will be re-signed. That leaves this:<br /><br />Kobe Bryant - $23,500,000<br />Steve Nash - $9,701,000<br />Jeremy Lin - $8,374,646<br />Julius Randle - $2,997,360<br />Kendall Marshall - $915,243<br />Robert Sacre - $915,243<br /><br />Jordan Hill* - $6,770,840<br />Ryan Kelly* - $1,016,482<br />Xavier Henry* - $915,243<br />Wesley Johnson* - $915,243<br />Roster charge - $507,336<br />Roster charge - $507,336<br /><br />Total = $57,035,972 = $6,029,028<br /><br />Let's say Young's four year $21 million reported agreed contract starts at $4.9 million with maximum 4.5% raises totalling $20,923,000. Take the $4.9 million out of that $6,029,028, then add back the amount of one less roster charge. That leaves $1,636,364 in cap room. You could add $200,000 to that amount by rescinding Kelly's QO, $509,146 by rescinding Kelly's QO and also renouncing him, and $407,907 for renouncements of each of Henry and Johnson. If all free agents other than Hill are renounced, then, the Lakers could re-sign Young for $4.9 million, have $2,961,324 more in cap space for someone else, and then still have the cap room mid-level exception to offer someone else. And they could do all this before re-signing Hill and adding Ed Davis at the minimum salary.<br /><br />At least one more small move left in the gun, then. Potentially one big move in the gun if the stretch provision is used on Nash, but that's not conducive to a 2015 plan and ought not be expected.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/heat.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/heat.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Miami Heat</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $39,458,485 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/heat.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> None<br /><br /><br />The Heat have not signed all their agreed-upon deals, but they've done six of them, and it's left them here:<br /><br />Dwyane Wade - $15,000,000<br />Luol Deng - $9,714,461<br />Josh McRoberts - $5,305,000<br />Mario Chalmers - $4,000,000<br />Danny Granger - $2,077,000<br />Norris Cole - $2,038,206<br />Justin Hamilton $816,482<br />James Ennis - $507,336<br /><br />Chris Bosh* - $20,644,400<br />Shabazz Napier* - $1,032,200<br />Chris Andersen* - $915,243<br />Roster charge - $507,336<br /><br /><br />All that totals an amount that is not coincidentally exactly $507,336 below the salary cap, so now we know why Deng signed for that bizarrely specific amount. Bosh, Napier and Andersen will sign soon in moves that will put the Heat over the cap, and thereafter they are limited to the room exception and the minimum salary. Waiving the unguaranteed Hamilton would add very little, given that he would have to be replaced with a roster charge.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/bucks.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/bucks.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Milwaukee Bucks</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $51,841,965 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/bucks.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> $11,223,035<br /><br /><br />The only roster move Milwaukee have made so far was signing Jabari Parker. That has left them this:<br /><br />Larry Sanders - $11,000,000<br />O.J. Mayo - $8,000,000<br />Ersan Ilyasova - $7,900,000<br />Zaza Pachulia - $5,200,000<br />Jabari Parker - $4,930,560 <br />Brandon Knight - $3,553,917<br />Carlos Delfino - $3,250,000<br />John Henson - $1,987,320<br />Giannis Antetokounmpo - $1,873,200<br />Miroslav Raduljica - $1,500,000 <br />Khris Middleton - $915,243<br />Chris Wright - $915,243<br />Nate Wolters - $816,482<br /><br />Ekpe Udoh* - $11,173,870<br />Ramon Sessions* - $6,500,000<br />Jeff Adrien* - $915,243<br />Marquis Daniels* - $915,243<br /><br /><br />Middleton and Wright are both fully unguaranteed, but Middleton definitely won't be waived. The figure above was determined by assuming that neither will, while all four free agents (who are actually keeping them over the cap at the moment) are renounced. Udoh is a mere minimum salary player, albeit a potentially useful one, and the Bucks have made no noise about re-signing Sessions. Indeed, they are said to be signing Jerryd Bayless to a two year, $6 million contract, which would both replace Sessions and push Wolters down the depth chart. You weren't expecting an offer sheet for Eric Bledsoe, surely. <br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/pelicans.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/pelicans.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>New Orleans Pelicans</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $65,831,445 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/pelicans.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> None<br /><br /><br />The Pelicans had cap space, but it's gone now. They used their last vestiges of it on Russ Smith, thereby creating this situation:<br /><br />Eric Gordon - $14,898,938<br />Tyreke Evans - $11,265,416<br />Jrue Holiday - $10,404,495<br />Ryan Anderson - $8,491,500<br />Omer Asik - $8,374,646<br />Anthony Davis - $5,607,240<br />Austin Rivers - $2,439,840<br />Omri Casspi - $1,063,384<br />Alexis Ajinca - $981,084<br />Luke Babbitt - $981,084<br />Jeff Withey - $816,482<br />Russ Smith - $507,336<br /><br />Darius Miller* - $915,243<br /><br /><br />Some bonus minutiae coming up. <br /><br />Unable to clear the cap space for Asik - it seems they were unable to meet whatever demands other cap space teams had for taking on Rivers's contract - the Pelicans had to trade for him without using cap space. And as explained <a href="http://www.hoop365.com/nba/eastern-conference/atlantic-division/new-york-knicks/how-chicago-can-get-carmelo/" target=_blank>here</a>, that means matching salaries, which wasn't easy without using Rivers, in whom fellow cap space pursuers Houston had no interest. But they managed it. They used their own unguaranteed contract of Melvin Ely ($1,316,809), then acquired the ones of Alonzo Gee ($3,000,000) and Scotty Hopson ($1,450,878) in two separate trades with Cleveland, the first costing only a top 55 protected second rounder, the latter only cash. They were then able to aggregate those three salaries to send to Houston, their $5,767,687 aggregated salary is within the 150% + $100,000 range of Asik's, and thus were able to send them, albeit in different directions, to accommodate him. It mattered not how recently Hopson and Gee had been received in trades, because the two months prohibition on a player's retradeability after being acquired by trade applies only if the retrading team had been over the cap when they first acquired them, which the Pelicans were not. Smith was signed before the Asik trade - he, Gee and Hopson just about fit within the Pelicans's cap space pre-Asik trade, even with Miller's cap hold, thus they were able to give Smith the third year on his minimum salary contract that they could not have done had they been armed with only the cap room mid-level exception and the minimum salary exceptions, both of which have a maximum of two seasons on them. (Additionally, Casspi, who was also received in the Asik trade, was on the second year of a two year minimum salary contract and thus absorbable via the MSE, and needed not be included in the trade aggregation.)<br /><br />It cost them much less than clearing out Rivers would have done, so, well done there. They also got the decent enough Casspi for their troubles. Here's hoping they don't waive him, even though they will.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/magic.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/magic.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Orlando Magic</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $50,081,737 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/magic.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> $11,157,904<br /><br /><br />As was said in the opening, we'll bear no judgement on the messed up methods by which Orlando got to this point. Instead, we will look only at what "this point" consists of. The results:<br /><br /><br />Channing Frye - $8,579,088<br />Glen Davis* - $6,600,000<br />Victor Oladipo - $4,978,200<br />Ben Gordon - $4,500,000<br />Aaron Gordon - $3,992,040<br />Al Harrington* - $3,804,900<br />Nikola Vucevic - $2,751,260<br />Elfrid Payton - $2,397,840<br />Tobias Harris - $2,380,594<br />Jameer Nelson* - $2,000,000<br />Maurice Harkless - $1,887,840<br />Anthony Randolph* - $1,825,359<br />Andrew Nicholson - $1,545,840<br />Evan Fournier - $1,483,920<br />Willie Green - $1,448,490<br />Kyle O'Quinn - $915,243<br />Dewayne Dedmon - $816,482<br /><br />Fran Vazquez* - $1,898,300<br />E'Twaun Moore* - $915,243<br />Jeremy Richardson* - $915,243<br /><br /><br />(NB - Davis's amount is not certain but is certainly no higher than this.)<br /><br />Orlando could renounce the long redundant cap hold on Richardson quite easily, and would do if they had any incentive, and the once promising E'Twaun Moore has no place on the roster any more in light of the rest of the guard reshuffle. Vasquez's cap hold is easily gotten rid of if needs be, be it by agreeing to expunge it for a year or just getting rid of it for good. Dedmon is unguaranteed, although there seems no reason to waive him. And Al Harrington's contract has the right of set-off outstanding, which will further reduce it should he sign somewhere else soon. The above figure was arrived at assuming the removal of the three cap holds only, but it's enough for a decent chunk of change.<br /><br />As for what they could do with this extra space? Well, there's surely some mediocre veteran out there who needs overpaying. Seems to have been the MO so far. Luke Ridnour is about to join, getting two years and $5.5 million to be only slightly better than Ronnie Price, so presumably there is one more deal of such type left in the gun. Probably for a centre. <br /><br />Actually, Vasquez is a centre, and is long since passed being required to sign for the rookie scale. He's a veteran now, and plays a position with a hole on the depth chart. Give it all to him. For a laugh.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/sixers.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/sixers.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Philadelphia 76ers</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $31,341,130 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/sixers.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> $28,034,170<br /><br /><br />Philly's entire offseason thus far has been the draft, where they acquired five new players, none of whom they have yet signed, and none of whom might contribute to the team next year. This of course was the plan, but signing absolutely no one at all thus far, not even a draftee, has given them a ton of space that's pretty much going to waste. The current situation reads thusly:<br /><br />Thaddeus Young - $9,410,869<br />Jason Richardson - $6,601,125<br />Nerlens Noel - $3,315,120<br />Michael Carter-Williams - $2,300,040<br />Eric Maynor* - $2,106,720<br />Tony Wroten - $1,210,080<br />Arnett Moultrie - $1,136,160<br />Elliot Williams - $981,084<br />Henry Sims - $915,243<br />Jarvis Varnado - $915,243<br />Brandon Davies - $816,482<br />Hollis Thompson - $816,482<br />Casper Ware - $816,482<br /><br />Joel Embiid* - $3,689,700<br />Dario Saric* - $1,803,400<br />Charles Jenkins* - $915,243 $947,276 Two year veteran's minimum<br />Byron Mullens* - $915,243 $947,276 Two year veteran's minimum<br />Adonis Thomas* - $816,482<br /><br /><br />The Sixers could make even more room for themselves than this. The renouncements of Jenkins, Mullens and Thomas are meaninglessly routine, and Saric could sign the paperwork agreeing not to join the NBA next season (since he won't), thereby expunging his cap hold. All of Ware, Thompson, Davies, Varnardo, Sims and Williams are on unguaranteed contracts and could be waived to open up more space (albeit remembering to add a roster charge of $507,633 for each empty roster spot up to and including 12 places), and you could even take it even further and utilise the stretch provision on Jason Richardson, thereby thirding his cap number. The figure arrived at above assumes no such stretching and no waivings, but does include the renouncements of the three FAs and the expunging of Saric's cap hold, and yet they could go so much bigger.<br /><br />However, much of that is not likely to happen. The Sixers it seems have no desire to use this cap space. This accords with their MO of last year, when they sat on an oodle of it for many months and eventually used it all to acquire six second round picks on one day. The strategy, it seems, is to do much the same again. But it is a strategy with a problem - there are a lot more teams who can take on salary other teams want to shed than there is salary needing to be shed. The Sixers couldn't turn their tons of cap space into a single first round pick last deadline, when there were fewer competitors on the market, so their chances of doing it again are automatically limited. And when there was one available just now with Jeremy Lin, they seemingly didn't want it. <br /><br />There must be a plan somewhere, but none of it has come to fruition yet, and it is starting to get bizarre. It is not due to an obligation to meet the salary floor that I say this - there is no obligation - but because the cap space is not yielding anything of value at all right now, at a time when others (Lin trade to Lakers, Anthony Randolph to Orlando) are managing to make theirs work for them. Hinkie it seems is all in on something, but God knows what it is this time. I hereby predict a trade of for Gerald Wallace at the deadline, and submit as my corroborating evidence absolutely nothing whatsoever.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/suns.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/suns.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Phoenix Suns</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $34,878,911 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/suns.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> $18,647,161<br /><br /><br />Even after acquiring Isaiah, the Suns still have plenty to spend. Eric Bledsoe will get a big contract, but his cap hold is sufficiently small that the Suns can boast big time free agency space before signing him to it. The same is true on a smaller scale of P.J. Tucker, whose meeting of the starter criteria boosted the value of his qualifying offer higher but still not to the same level as the contract he is going to re-sign for. That leaves the pleasingly cheap Suns as follows:<br /><br />Goran Dragic - $7,500,000<br />Isaiah Thomas - $7,238,606<br />Alex Len - $3,649,920<br />Gerald Green - $3,500,000<br />Markieff Morris - $2,989,239<br />Marcus Morris - $2,943,221<br />T.J. Warren - $1,953,520<br />Shavlik Randolph - $1,227,985<br />Miles Plumlee - $1,169,880<br />Archie Goodwin - $1,112,280<br />Dionte Christmas - $816,482<br />Michael Beasley* - $777,778 <br /><br />Eric Bledsoe* - $6,566,183<br />P.J. Tucker* - $2,875,130 <br />Tyler Ennis* - $1,325,600 <br />Leandro Barbosa* - $915,243<br /><br /><br />The remaining space figure listed above is arrived at by assuming the waiving of Randolph, the renouncement of Barbosa, and the continued wait on signing all three of Ennis, Bledsoe and Tucker. There may not be that many candidates worthy of this much money any more, but by virtue of their tons of space and their young, exciting and quality team, Phoenix may have the pick of the litter. (Well, until they run out of roster spots.) Anthony Tolliver will soon be signing, it is said, for a total of two years and $6 million, which means you can knock about $3 million off of that figure. But that's still basically maximum contract space. Any takers?<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://data.shamsports.com/content/images/logos/jazz.jpg" width="75" /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/jazz.jsp"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Utah Jazz</b></span></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Committed salary for 2014/15:</b> $54,428,296 (<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/jazz.jsp">view full forecast</a>)<br /><br /><b>Remaining cap space:</b> $8,636,704<br /><br /><br />After matching Hayward's offer sheet, the Jazz are actually technically over the cap at the moment, having been beneath it earlier in order to complete the Steve Novak trade. However, when Marvin Williams (see above) signs with Charlotte, his $11,250,000 cap hold will disappear, creating the following situation:<br /><br />Gordon Hayward - $14,746,000<br />Derrick Favors - $12,950,000<br />Enes Kanter - $5,694,674<br />Dante Exum - $3,615,000 <br />Steve Novak - $3,445,947<br />Alec Burks - $3,034,356 <br />Trey Burke - $2,548,560<br />Jeremy Evans - $1,794,872 <br />John Lucas III - $1,600,000<br />Rodney Hood - $1,290,360<br />Rudy Gobert - $1,127,400 <br />Malcolm Thomas - $948,163 <br />Ian Clark - $816,482 <br />Erik Murphy - $816,482<br /><br />Lucas, Murphy, Thomas and Clark are all fully unguaranteed and could be waived to open up further cap space. However, in light of having already signed Exum and Hood to their rookie deals, and having made no attempt at big time free agents since about 2003, there is no strong likelihood of big cap space usage any time soon. Much of what is left will be used on Trevor Booker, who has agreed to but not yet signed a two year, $10 million deal. Thereafter, unless there is another Novak-like trade to come, they are probably just turning over the non-rotation players.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-57852573723877711362014-07-11T08:54:00.001+01:002014-07-12T00:33:55.463+01:00"Consideration In Trades And Trade Structure" - a league instruction manualAt the end of the July Moratorium each year, the league sends out a memo containing all of the findings from the audit it conducted during it. That audit is what the moratorium period is for - the moratorium is one long end-of-season book-keep in which it crunches all the numbers related to revenue, BRI, escrow, tax and the like, and makes determinations on both the past and the future. That memo generally filters through to the mainstream media - it has to, because it contains all the things that will make the league work next year, such as the salary cap numbers and exact size of the luxury tax threshold. It also contains things such as the latest projection of the season after next ($66.3 million salary cap, $80.7 million luxury tax threshold) and the sizes of next year's exceptions.<br /><br />This year, however, the league sent out a second memo. Entitled "Consideration in Trades and Trade Structure", it is a reminder and/or clarifier to teams about some of the specifics of what they can and cannot do in trades. Seemingly, they felt this was necessary<br /><br />Considering the presence of this memo suggests that some teams do not entirely understand the rules (or, perhaps, have been intent on pushing them back a bit), it is self-evidently the case that those of us outside of the league will not fully know them either. So, here goes.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><hr><br />The memo is divided into two parts. The first part of the memo deals with what constitutes 'consideration' in trades, and is itself split into two parts.<br /><br />Part two of this first section concerns consideration in trades for non-playing personnel. Seemingly, in light of recent <i>de facto</i> coaching trades (whereby a team receives compensation for letting a non-playing member of staff out of their contract to sign with the other team), those rules needed some clarification. And the clarified rules are stated in the memo as follows:<br /><br />a) As long as they accord with all other trade rules (e.g. Stepien rule, cash limits), draft picks and cash are allowed to be traded in this way.<br />b) Players and draft rights to players are not.<br />c) The two teams involved in such a trade cannot make another trade between themselves for the earlier of (i) one calendar year of the day the non-playing member of personnel was released from the original contract, or (ii) if the release took place in between two regular seasons, after the final game (including playoffs) of the upcoming seaaon for <i>both</i> teams. This includes, and indeed is primarily about, trades of players.<br /><br />Fair enough. This is not a well documented area, so it is good to see some clarity. <br /><br />Part one of this consideration section, however, is where the real eyebrow raisers are found. <br /><br />First of all, the memo establishes what the league considers now to be 'minimum consideration', parameters it says that have been established over time and through precedent. Section (a) states that the minimum consideration to be given <b>in all trades regardless of the number of teams involved</b> is thereafter to be one of the following, with teams required to give <b>and</b> receive at least one of them:<br /><br />i) a player under contract,<br />ii) a future draft pick, the maximum protection of which is 55 spots,<br />iii) a player's draft rights, but specifically those of a player with a 'reasonable' chance of signing in the NBA one day (something judged at the discretion of the NBA), or<br />iv) $75,000.<br /><br />Further to this, in multi-team trades (i.e. three or more), the parameters are different. Section (b) states that the minimum consideration <b>in trades involving more than two teams</b> is thereafter to be one of these following, with teams required to give <b>and/or</b> receive at least <b>two</b> of them:<br /><br />a) a player under contract,<br />b) a future draft pick that, whilst it may have protection, must be unprotected in at least one season and thus must be conveyed at some point,<br />c) a player's draft rights (the same definition is not given, but the same wording is, thus the same definition can be assumed), or<br />d) $750,000.<br /><br />In all multi-team trades, all parties to the trade must meet the parameters of both sections. In practical terms, this means they must both give and receive something, with 'something' defined as being one of the four pieces listed in section A. In addition to this, they must at least send or receive something to at least two parties in the deal, sending or receiving at least two of the four pieces listed in section B. <br /><br />This does not mean teams have to send and receive something to all parties in the deal. It is still OK for a team C to receive a player from team A and cash from team B, sending only a draft pick to team A. However, the higher minimum thresholds of consideration given in section B necessitate more impactful assets being dealt in these trades in the future. And in particular, the much larger amount of cash makes it more difficult for multi-player trades to merely use nominal amounts of cash in the future. You can still trade only $75,000 to a team in a multi-player trade if you want, but the other two things they are giving and/or receiving are going to have to be more toothy to make up for it.<br /><br />The memo states this because the NBA has become all too aware of the usage of multi-team trades involving third teams receiving mixed bags of assets and liabilities whilst sending out remarkably little in return. See for example Milwaukee's role in the three team trade that sent Kevin Martin to Oklahoma City - for taking on the unwanted salary of Luke Ridnour, the Bucks received a second round pick and cash for their troubles and only had to send out the draft rights to Szymon Szewczyk to the Thunder, a player who meets the NBA's requirement of 'starting or rotation player in a reputable league' but who isn't going to join the NBA. In letting it be known that the minimum requirements for 'consideration' are to be tougher, the NBA seeks to make this more difficult to do, citing as their reasoning the fact that 'trades involving three or more teams typically provide teams with salary cap or other advantages beyond what could be accomplished via successive two-team trades', something they do not like seeing outside of what they call 'bona fide' trades. <br /><br />These whatever-the-opposite-of-bona-fide type of deals still will happen, no doubt. But it will cost those involved more to do it now. And in light of the description of the required threshold for a player's draft rights - which may not be new, but which is new to me - we now get to see which rights to long-since-drafted players are suitable or not. If you are into your esoterica, there are some questions created here that we can look forward to not having answered. Someone try to trade for Venson Hamilton and see what happens.<br /><br /><hr><br />The second part of the memo, the part concerned with trade structure, is primarily a short and somewhat terse message. It reads thusly:<br /><br /><blockquote><i>Please be reminded that anti-circumvention rules apply to all proposed trades. Accordingly, among other things, teams cannot structure a trade to defeat or circumvent provisions of the CBA or other league rules.</i></blockquote><br />The elaboration subsequently given states that a team cannot split one trade into more than one trade 'to evade a CBA prohibition or to gain a particular Salary Cap advantage'. It elaborates no further than this, however, and no specific example is given. Indeed, the memo goes on to say that transactions that may run foul of this will be addressed on a case-by-case basis, which is unhelpful in establishing the parameters of this reminder, as well as what triggered it.<br /><br />This is an interesting point, because it suggests the frowning-upon of a practice involving the creation and usage of trade Exceptions via non-simultaneous trades. This practice is a long-standing but ill-covered one which I have attempted to clarify on multiple occasions this season, <a href="http://www.hoop365.com/nba/eastern-conference/atlantic-division/new-york-knicks/how-chicago-can-get-carmelo/" target=_blank>partly in this piece</a>, but <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/2/20/5428672/steve-blake-trade-lakers-warriors-cba-analysis" target=_blank>primarily in this one</a>. From that latter link comes this description of the conduct potentially in question:<br /><br /><blockquote>[E]ach team is able to structure the trade in the way which suits them best, even if said structure is different to how other parties do it. There can be multiple ways to conduct the same trade, and this is evident and important in the creation and usage of TPEs.<br /><br />This confusing process is best illustrated by way of example. Suppose team A has an $8 million player X, a $5 million TPE and a $3 million TPE, while team B (conveniently!) has a $5 million player Y and a $3 million player Z. Suppose players Y and Z from team B are traded for the $8 million player X from team A alone.<br /><br />From team B's perspective, the deal is simply players Y and Z and their $8 million aggregated salary in exchange for player X from team A. However, team A can structure the deal so that player Y is absorbed by the $5 million TPE and player Z by the $3 million TPE, thereby allowing them to send out player X for no incomming salary, thereby creating a fresh $8 million TPE for player X. It is perfectly permissible to structure the trade in this way despite it being different to the structure used by the other party, as long as the structure for each party satifies the CBA. And the rule whereby all parties to a trade must give up <i>something</i> in the deal is satisfied by the fact that player X is traded.<br /><br />Essentially, the trade is both one big deal and three parallel smaller ones at the same time. The need to trade something for something is satisfied in the overall deal and thus does not need to be satisfied in each parallel smaller one.</blockquote><br />The relevant passage in the memo suggests that it is this practice that may be under threat. However, in the trade that the quoted passage above was in reference to (the <a href=http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/2/20/5428672/steve-blake-trade-lakers-warriors-cba-analysis" target=_blank>MarShon Brooks/Steve Blake trade from the last deadline day</a>), provisions were not circumvented. Provisions were not defeated. Things were worked around, yes, specifically Golden State's inability to aggregate Brooks's salary in trade. But the Warriors and Lakers (mainly the Warriors) did all their finagling within the rules set forth by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. They did not do anything here other than what they were permitted to do, and even if they had done, the league still approved the trade. <br /><br />With this in mind, it would seem as though moves of this nature are not the sort of thing the passage refers to. But if they are not, then what are? The catch-all words "among other things" are deliberately open ended, and, to be honest, there are not all that many ways to structure a trade in the first place. So the scope of the conduct the league seeks to reminds its teams of must be more limited than the wording suggests. <br /><br />If the NBA feels that manoeuvring in the manner of the Warriors and Lakers above is contrary to the spirit of the Traded Player Exception and specifically to the use of non-simultaneous trades, then, fine. It pretty much is - on all but the most technical of levels, Brooks and Bazemore were traded for Blake in one deal, with only minutiae stating others. But it was also perfectly allowed by the very clauses the league signed up to in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. And if this is <i>not</i> the kind of matter that this passage of the memo refers to, then we will have to see what it is, because I have no other guesses. <br /><br />Nevertheless, whatever it is, this could be an interesting thing to watch develop. The NBA may be seeking to outlaw a practice it simultaneously permits. We shall see over time where the new boundaries lie. <br /><br />Or rather, we probably won't.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-69581427223565687152014-07-10T01:45:00.001+01:002014-07-16T04:48:26.111+01:00Complete History Of NBA Luxury Tax Payments, 2001-2014This website and its sole proprietor keep a spreadsheet containing to-the-dollar information on all luxury tax paid to date, updated annually. Here is the latest update.<br /><br />In the 13 seasons since the luxury tax was created, it has been applicable in eleven seasons; in those eleven seasons, 24 NBA franchises have paid over $1 billion in payroll excess. The exact details can be found here. <br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/media/TAX2014finalB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://data.shamsports.com/media/TAX2014finalB.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sorted alphabetically - click to enhance.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/media/TAX2014BfinalB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://data.shamsports.com/media/TAX2014BfinalB.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sorted by expenditure - click to enhance.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />(Orange cells denote the team that won the championship that year.)<br /><br />Please use the spreadsheet freely for resource purposes, and feel equally free to suggest any improvements. However, please do not just take it, and if you do cite its data somewhere, please acknowledge its source. While the content is not my IP, I did spend a long time sourcing the relevant information, and in return, I seek only credit and a few page hits for that. Thank you.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-24289407012893695972014-07-07T19:57:00.000+01:002014-07-30T00:58:11.892+01:002014 Summer League rosters - Miami<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2505"><b><font size="3">Ivan Aska</font></b></A> - Murray State graduate Aska has played two professional seasons, splitting last one between Greece and Puerto Rico. He averaged 15.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.4 fouls in 29.9 minutes per game for Ikaros, then averaged 6.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 fouls in 13.8 minutes per game for Santurce. The 6'7 power forward never really developed at Murray State, saved for an improved free throw stroke he has subsequently lost again, but he brings plenty of athleticism to the table, easily his most alluring quality. There are occasional post ups, straight line dribble drives and mid-range catch-and-shoots in there, but the athleticism doesn't seem to make him a shot blocker, and there are no NBA calibre skills other than it.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2506"><b><font size="3">Danilo Barthel</font></b></a> - In his first significant season of playing time at the highest level of German basketball, the 6'10 Barthel won the Bundesliga's Most Improved Player award. A 6'10 face-up power forward who does a bit of everything, Barthel is a very good athlete for his size, and uses it to put the ball on the floor. He shoots jumpshots from mid and long range (albeit not especially well yet), plays the pick and roll, can get up to throw down, and handles it very well for one so large. He is also a good passer of the ball with good vision, and who knows how to get open for others, a high IQ offensive player and a very real prospect who has started to realise that potential. Barthel has more to do to put it all together - he makes mistakes at times, forces the issue at some, being too passive at others, and needs to toughen up defensively. But he would have been a high to mid second round pick had he done what he did this year last year.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2249"><b><font size="3">Jerrelle Benimon</font></b></a> - Making no effort to dress it up, let's be honest and say that Benimon was a disappointment in his two years at Georgetown. He wasn't given much to do, admittedly, especially on offense. But he didn't really do anything. Benimon never scored, never looked to score much, mostly took jumpshots at which he was never good, rebounded poorly, turned it over remarkably often for someone with so little offensive responsibility, fouled everyone, and only occasionally had a blocked shot to show for his efforts. He did nothing in two years, and <br /><br />Then he transferred to Towson and became someone else. Transferring to Towson involved a much lower standard of play, of course, but it's not as if anyone else did there what Benimon was doing. He suddenly became Mr Everything, a muscular and reasonably athletic power forward who drove the team on both ends, playing huge minutes of every game, carrying the load. Benimon rebounds well using this strength and motor, and can also get position and finish down low, albeit not with the greatest range of post moves. Instead, he plays a perimeter role based around a jumpshot, some ball handling skills, and, bizarrely, a jumpshot born out of his ballhandling skills. Benimon runs both halves of the pick and roll, but mainly the guard part, and likes to shoot pull-up jumpers, something at which he is frankly not that bad. Benimon runs the break and does everything you would expect a guard to do, and does so without being too ridiculous in the process. The turnover numbers are very high, and Benimon does have a tendency to barrel into people without knowing why he is doing it, but this is partly due to the cirucmstances he was put in. Towson asked him to do everything, and he pretty much did. This from the man who previously was asked to do pretty much nothing.<br /><br />A complete transformation, then. And now Benimon looks like a player who can play in any league in the world, except possibly this one, given a lack of supreme size or athleticism. Although, if he proves he can consistently stretch the floor without needing the ball too much to do it, you never know.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2507"><b><font size="3">Nobel Boungou-Colo</font></b></a> - This is Nobel's first NBA foray at the age of 26. Last year, the Congolese forward averaged 15 points in 32 minutes per game, alongside 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 turnovers, on 40% three point shooter. This was his first season of being a good shooter after a career hitherto of being a poor one, which is promising. However, as he transitions from interior to perimeter player, his rebounding has fallen off a cliff and his turnovers have shot way up. Boungou Colo is a very good athlete with a pro body, but he has never quite known what to do with them, and he just doesn't have the handle of a small forward. He's a something forward, an athlete, apparently now a shooter, and a productive player warts and all, but also a question mark in many ways.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2270"><b><font size="3">Andre Dawkins</font></b></a> - Dawkins, who will play for the Heat only in Orlando, was covered in the <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/07/2014-summer-league-rosters-houston.html">Rockets roster round-up</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1315"><b><font size="3">Larry Drew II</font></b></a> - The Heat continue their interest in Drew, who joined them for both summer league and training camp last season. He spent his first professional season in the D-League, where he was given the keys to the Sioux Falls Skyforce offense (or at least was when DeAndre Liggins let him) and returned averages of 11.0 points and 6.7 assists in 34 minutes a game, alongside only 2.5 turnovers. Drew is certainly willing to pass, and can pass, and wants to pass. But he's small, no threat in the paint, and his defense is fairly unthreatening. What Drew has does is consolidate the uptick in his three point stroke he demonstrated at UCLA, hitting 38.8% of them on a reasonable number of attempts with the Skyforce. This has to continue to be the case, as he cannot collapse a defense well if he's obviously not going to score.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2049"><b><font size="3">James Ennis</font></b></a> - Last year's second round pick went to Australia and dominated. He averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks in 31.7 minutes per game, and the only reason he didn't win MVP was because Rotnei Clarke's scoring was considered more valuable for whatever reason. The Australian league is not an athletic one, and Ennis's leaping ability and transition games were unparalleled and very unstoppable. Ennis also shot the ball fairly well from three (35% on quite high attempts), finished at the rim, and got there in the halfcourt better than usual. With the athleticism and frame to play defense at the NBA level, along with a long wing span and decent passing vision, he seems to be a legitimate roster spot candidate next season. The handle and shot creating in the half court are not there, but as an NBA role player, they wouldn't need to be.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2508"><b><font size="3">Frank Gaines</font></b></a> - Gaines, who will play with the Heat only in Vegas summer league, was covered in the <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/07/2014-summer-league-rosters-indiana.html">Pacers roster round-up</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2509"><b><font size="3">Langston Hall</font></b></a> - Hall is a big point guard at 6'4, but not a fast one. He passes for big assist numbers with few turnovers, and is a poised point guard who runs the team well, but this is partly due to a lack of dynamicism. Hall hasn't the speed to get into the lane or collapse the defense, and thus is not able to take many risks even if he sought do. What he does do is play within him limitations, and cater to his strengths, those strengths being sensible passing and his shooting. Hall is a good shooter with better shot selection who can catch and shoot, or take pull-ups off the bounce, including utilising a step back jumpshot. His lack of foot speed and athleticism rather undermines his size, but point guards with height, discipline and jumpshots generally do well somewhere.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1860"><b><font size="3">Justin Hamilton</font></b></a> - Hamilton is only one of two Heat players under contract at the moment, along with Norris Cole. The one time Heat draft pick has already been waived by the team once, but is back for now and signed to a unguaranteed contract for next season. In 38 D-League games with Larry Drew's Skyforce, Hamilton averaged 19.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 35.4 minutes per game, making his living mostly with a righty hook but also in shooting 39.7% from three on a limited and increasing number of attempts. He has stretch five potential and weak side shot blocker potential, and if he can toughen up on the offensive glass, Hamilton can be a rare type of 7 footer in the NBA.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2064"><b><font size="3">Eli Holman</font></b></a> - Regular summer league Holman is back, having spent last season in Turkey playing for Usaf. There, he did usual Eli Holman-esque things - grabbing 9.4 rebounds in only 28.5 minutes per game, as well as scoring 13.5 points in that time (almost all from inside the foul line), and fouling everyone who gets near him. Physical, tough and aggressive, if unathletic and not much of a rim protector, Holman's paint finishes and pick-and-roll looks are tailor made for European basketball, where his lack of breakneck speed matters less. He projects less favourably at the NBA level, particularly defensively, but rebounds pretty much always translate, so he could have a role.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1735"><b><font size="3">Tyler Honeycutt</font></b></a> - After a couple of years of moving around and getting little in the way of regular playing time, Honeycutt settled down to a regular gig last year, and it worked out for him. Playing a full campaign with Israeli team Ironi Nes-Ziona, Honeycutt averaged 15.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. The rebounds were second in the nation - this from a wing player - while the steals ranked third, the points eighth, the blocks seventh, and the assists only just outside of the top 10. Honeycutt was Kyle Anderson before Kyle Anderson, and while it's not a perfect comparison - he isn't the playmaking option every time down that Anderson is - Honeycutt is more athletic than his currently touted compadre. Honeycutt has NBA talent, and always has done, getting stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time in his NBA opportunity to date. If he sticks around in the D-League and stays healthy, he'll make it back.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2510"><b><font size="3">Tyler Johnson</font></b></a> - As a senior as Fresno State, the 6'4 Johnson was asked to do a bit of everything. And he did, to the tune of 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, shooting 46.5% from the field and 43.8% from three. Although he led the team in scoring, Johnson didn't dominate the ball to get those points - the Bulldogs were a fairly high scoring and fast paced team who used multiple ball handlers and player movement to get good looks for multiple perimeter offensive weapons. But Johnson was the best of the bunch, a very discipline high IQ and athletic player who picks spots, makes good passes, sells fakes to open up both the J and the drive, and plays within his limitations. He also crashes the glass hard, and can absolutely sky for his size. Johnson is small for a two guard - even the 6'4 seems a bit generous - and he has no one stand-out facet to his game, but if Chris Babb is projectable as a shooting guard role player, so is Tyler.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2092"><b><font size="3">Trey McKinney-Jones</font></b></a> - In the D-League last season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, McKinney-Jones poured in numbers as solid as solid can be. In 32.2 minutes per contest, he averaged 14.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals to only 1.5 turnovers, shooting 46.7% from the floor and 35.3% from three. McKinney-Jones is a good athlete with a strong mid-range game and projectable if not entirely cemented yet three point stroke, who defends well, plays within his limitations, makes few mistakes and loves to run. Role players play roles.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2149"><b><font size="3">Shabazz Napier</font></b></a> - As an underclassman, Napier took many a bad shot. He came in as a scorer and still wanted to be one, but that aggressiveness became damaging as he took too many bad ones and too many early ones. But once he learnt to temper this, Napier became a leader and a go-to offensive option, fearless and unflappable. That is not to say he is not still liable to weak moments - Napier is occasionally still fearless to the point of recklessness and always liable to take a heat check jumpshot on his good shooting days but mostly justified now in his decision making. He cannot resist a few bad ones, and often threatens to ruin his hot scoring steaks by playing with tunnel vision. But it is less so now. And a bit of aggression never hurt.<br /><br />Napier does not really make his team mates better, at least not in a conventional way. Despite decent assist numbers, some pick and roll passing and some drive-and-kicks, this is still a score-first player, perhaps even a score-second player. But he does make the <i>team</i> better. Napier is a very talented shot maker, mostly with the jumpshot, who regularly hits contested ones and who can shoot off the catch or off the pull-up, needing only a small amount of space to get the shot away. Over time he has put away the excess of long two-pointers and turned them into threes, which has brought up his efficiency, and although he is too small to do much around the basket, he can at least get there, so he cannot be overplayed for the jumper. Napier's blistering speed and good ball handling skills gets him to the basket with ease even when amongst the trees, and defensively, that same speed combines with good hands, good anticipation, timely passing lane gambles and an improved effort level to be a pest on that end, sufficiently so to often overcome his size disadvantage. He is clutch, a very good foul shooter, and a competitor.<br /><br />It's easy to see why LeBron likes him. Given how small Napier is, he will always be slightly hampered at this level. But put talent around him, and he'll be a fine fourth or fifth offensive option.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2247"><b><font size="3">Ronald Roberts</font></b></a> - Roberts, who will play for the Heat only in Vegas, was covered in the <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/07/2014-summer-league-rosters-philadelphia.html">Sixers roster round-up</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2108"><b><font size="3">Scott Suggs</font></b></a> - Suggs, who will play for the Heat only in Vegas, was covered in the <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/07/2014-summer-league-rosters-orlando.html">Magic roster round-up</a>.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-36640678223931474952014-07-07T02:27:00.000+01:002014-11-13T02:41:09.365+00:00How Chicago Can Get Carmelo(originally published elsewhere)<br /><br />Pretend for a minute that Carmelo Anthony chooses the Bulls. It's possible until it isn't.<br /><br />Pretend for a minute that he wants more than they can pay him in free agency. Considering that their best free agency offers would top out at a starting salary of $15 million barring a significant weakening of the roster elsewhere, and that other teams are offering an unconditional max, and this seems a reasonable belief. To join Chicago for an amount of money comparable to what he would get elsewhere, Melo would have to be signed and traded.<br /><br />Pretend for a minute that the Knicks are willing to do this deal to help out a conference rival. This, too, is realistic. If they want to be proud and/or stubborn and refuse to help a one time rival, instead preferring to let their player walk for free, then....OK. But there's assets in it for them if they do, so they shouldn't be stubborn in this way. They need assets to get good again more than they need to worry about who is good whilst they rebuild. It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business.<br /><br />With all the previous assumptions in place, Chicago would want badly to acquire Melo via sign and trade while keeping together as good of a team as possible. This means no trading of Taj Gibson, and ideally no trading of Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic. Can Chicago keep all three, acquire Melo, build a brilliant team and do it all within the confines of the Collective Bargaining Agreement?<br /><br />Just about. Here's how.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>STEP ONE: Amnesty Carlos Boozer.</strong><br /><br />Thereby expunging his $16.8 million salary from the cap number, if not the payroll. Note that amnestying Boozer does not immediately put the Bulls under the salary cap, due to their assortment of cap holds. This will prove crucial, as will be seen and thoroughly explained below.<br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>STEP TWO: A highly convoluted three team trade.</strong><br /><br /><strong>Bulls trade:</strong> Ronnie Brewer ($1,310,286 unguaranteed), Louis Amundson ($1,310,286 unguaranteed), Mike James ($1,448,490, unguaranteed), Greg Smith ($948,163), Tony Snell ($1,472,400), a signed-and-traded Kirk Hinrich (three year deal starting at $4,870,800 with 4.5% decreases totalling $13,954,842), two first round picks (see below) and $3.2 million in cash to New York. Also trade Mike Dunleavy Jr ($3,326,235) to Boston.<br /><br /><strong>Bulls receive:</strong> A signed-and-traded Carmelo Anthony from New York. And something meaningless and arbitrary from Boston.<br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>Knicks trade:</strong> A signed-and-traded Carmelo Anthony (four year deal starting at $19,686,660 with 4.5% raises for a total of $84,062,040) to Chicago.<br /><br /><strong>Knicks receive:</strong> Hinrich, Snell, Smith, James, Amundson, Brewer, both first round picks and the cash.<br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>Celtics trade:</strong> Something arbitrary like a top 55 protected second round pick.<br /><br /><strong>Celtics receive:</strong> Mike Dunleavy Jr ($3,326,235, absorbed via Paul Pierce trade exception).<br /><br />_________________<br /><br />There follows a long explanation of both math and logic.<br /><br />Teams above the salary cap can complete trades using the Traded Player Exception, the proper name for the cap exception by which teams above the cap are allowed to make trades. It is the exception which brings about the rules of salary matching with which we are all familiar.<br /><br />Teams below the cap don't need this - they can trade to their heart's content without needing to match salary, as long as they don't finish more than $100,000 over the cap.<br /><br />But - and this is the important bit - no matter whether you started above or below the cap, you need to use the salary matching rules within the Traded Player Exception if you intend to finish more than $100,000 over the cap.<br /><br />If Chicago wanted to sign and trade for Melo when below the cap, they could either trade out enough salary so that they don't go over this $100,000 limit, or use the salary matching rules. Pragmatically, they are not far enough under the estimated $63.2 million salary cap to do the former. They could in theory be $10 million under and trade $11 million to get a $21.1 million player, but the only realistic way to do this is to include Taj Gibson. [Seriously, try it.] So their best bet to complete a trade is to stay over the cap throughout and use the Traded Player Exception.<br /><br />Note once again what was said below step one - amnestying Boozer doesn't immediately put Chicago below the cap. The cap holds of Hinrich, Mohammed, Mirotic, McDermott, D.J. Augustin, Jimmer Fredette, Daequan Cook, Brian Scalabrine, Vladimir Radmanovic and all their exceptions keep them above it, and actually quite a long way above it (about $15 million or so). The idea of the Bulls having cap space involves amnestying Boozer and renouncing all of the above save for Mirotic and McDermott, but this is not something that happens automatically. It is something they could opt to do. It is a weapon in the arsenal. It is not a weapon they are using here.<br /><br />What an amnesty of Boozer <em>does</em> do is give Chicago the room to incorporate players via sign and trade without going over the apron (the line $4 million above the tax threshold, estimated at being $81 million next year, which teams receiving players via sign and traded are not allowed to go over). Amnestying Boozer is not in this instance about cap space, but about cap flexibility. He could be used for cap space in other scenarios, but not here. Here, Chicago are a team over the cap making a trade.<br /><br />Chicago, then, has to match Melo's salary. And in this deal, they just about do. Adding up their outgoing salaries totals $14,686,660, and when they are all aggregated together, that allows them to receive back $19,686,660 in trade. (When trading out between $9.8 million and $19.6 million in salary, teams utilising the Traded Player Exception who finish below the tax threshold upon completion of the deal are permitted to take back a maximum amount of the aggregated outgoing salaries plus $5 million.) This is where Anthony's new salary is arrived at. And this aggregation includes the salary of Mike Dunleavy Jr, even though he goes to a third team.<br /><br />Dunleavy Jr goes to Boston here, incorporated via part of the Paul Pierce trade exception, but could just as easily go to a team with cap space or anyone with a trade exception and a need for a 40% three point shooter. So could Hinrich, in theory. And indeed any of the outgoing Bulls players. As long as the two are traded to somewhere for no returning salary, or at least for salary which Chicago can incorporate via a different exception without going over the apron line, it doesn't really matter where they go. But the fewer involved parties, the better.<br /><br />If Melo refuses to sign for that little, add Nazr Mohammed in another sign-and-trade, and then add however much he gets - which will not be lower than his minimum salary of $1,448,490 - to Melo's first year salary. Hypothetically, if Mohammed were included and were to receive that exact amount, Melo's new contract could start at $21,135,150 and total $90,247,091 over the same four years. It's not quite his four year maximum, but it's damn close.<br /><br />Both teams would need to finish below the apron line after this deal, as they both receive players via a sign-and-trade. However, as will be seen below, both will. Even with Nazr.<br /><br />The amount listed for Hinrich is the most he can receive in a sign-and-trade without being subject to the artist formerly known as Base Year Compensation, which would reduce his outgoing value in trades to half of his actual salary. It would be fully unguaranteed in the two subsequent seasons, <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2013/07/its-official-keith-bogans-will-earn.html" target="_blank">a la Keith Bogans</a>, and thus not impinging at all on the 2015 free agency plan. New York receives no contract in this deal that has any guaranteed money beyond next season, and gets two picks for their troubles.<br /><br />In the offseason, the maximum roster size is 20, so New York has enough space to incorporate all of the incoming. Even if they were to include Nazr, this is the case. They would then be expected to waive the three unguaranteed deals, leaving them with Smith and Snell as two young backups, and Hinrich as the sole returning salary filler. Well, unless you include Nazr.<br /><br />The cash amount, the maximum amount a team is allowed to trade out in trades in one season, is sent by Chicago to New York to offset the overpayment to Hinrich. And Nazr, too, if you add him in. Then again, given how much Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher may love Hinrich, they might not consider it as such. (It would be, though.) Hinrich will not impinge upon their 2015 free agency plans, only slightly impinges upon the ambitious but apparently alive 2014 free agency plans, and would not hurt the team on the court or in the locker room in the interim. His presence in the deal is as a necessary financial instrument primarily and secondarily, but New York could still get something from him.<br /><br />As for Smith and Snell - Smith is a solid offensive option at backup centre for the minimum salary when healthy, and Snell could be the next Wesley Person if he learns to shoot as well as he already thinks he does. Both of course are projected as career backups and are not being sold as pieces for the future, but both are worthy of a look.<br /><br />The two first rounders are the meat of the deal for the Knicks and are in line with what Miami traded to receive Chris Bosh and LeBron James in their respective sign and trade deals in 2010. Chicago could send New York the 2015 first round pick from Sacramento that they received as a part of the Luol Deng trade, as well as their own 2015 first round pick, without falling foul of the Ted Stepien rule. The so-called Stepien rule is widely misunderstood, and simply states merely that teams cannot leave themselves without a first round draft pick in consecutive future drafts, but since Chicago has their own 2016 first round pick (as well as the right to swap it with Cleveland's), they are not running foul of this.<br /><br />Sacramento's pick is top 10 protected for the next three seasons - if it is not conveyed in that time, it is instead their 2017 second round pick that is conveyed. In all probability, however, the pick would be conveyed. The Kings are not trying to get worse. As with pretty much everything else mentioned, the specifics of the picks to be included are very changeable depending on the specifics elsewhere in the deal and the demands of the respective teams - the larger point is that, in my own personal hypothetical, the Knicks would receive two first rounders.<br /><br />Note also that Anthony Randolph, <a href="http://www.thescore.com/nba/news/528321" target="_blank">whose salary cannot be aggregated in this trade</a>, is left out of it altogether given that he is no help to the trade maths. He could be added along with Pablo Prigioni if the Knicks wanted them both to be so.<br /><br />The Knicks's total haul would be two cheap if replacable young backups, three veterans they can waive immediately at no cost, a veteran backup point guard used as salary filler, and two first round picks. If that does not sound enticing, at least read until the end of the post, when hopefully the benefits of this deal to their future will become apparent.<br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>STEP THREE: Sign Nikola Mirotic for the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.</strong><br /><br />It is assumed that this is how much it would take. If the actual amount needed is less, that would be great. The non-taxpayer mid-level exception this season has a maximum starting salary of $5.305 million.<br /><br />Note that doing so would make the Bulls subject to the apron, the point $4 million above the luxury tax threshold that becomes a hard cap if triggered by certain factors, one of which would be using a proportion of the non-taxpayer MLE to sign a contract or contracts that could not be signed by the taxpayer MLE (which is smaller and a year shorter in its maximum length).<br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>STEP FOUR: Sign Doug McDermott to his rookie scale deal.</strong><br /><br />This could pretty much be done at any time, since cap space is not in play. Once signed for 120% of his rookie scale deal, as is custom (and woe betide the team that tries to change this custom on a lottery pick, especially one they just traded quite a lot for), McDermott will be due to receive $2,277,960.<br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>STEP FIVE: Beg D.J. Augustin to re-sign for the Bi-Annual Exception</strong><br /><br />Last used on Marco Belinelli in the summer of 2012, the Bulls have the BAE available to them again, and Augustin earned it. He may feel as though he can get more in a market where Jordan Farmar got this much, and he may be right, but with a player option on the second year, he may be coercible. The Bi-Annual exception is for a maximum of two years and in 2014-15 offers a maximum starting salary of $2.077 million.<br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>STEP SIX: Sign Camerow Bairstow to the standard late second round pick two year minimum salary contract</strong><br /><br />Can be done using the inexhaustible minimum salary exception, and is a nice way to stay cheap, as <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/10/25/5028588/the-value-of-late-second-round-picks" target=_blank>second round picks cost less than minimums in luxury tax calculations</a>. Bairstow's cost for 2014/15 would be $507,336.<br /><br />&nbsp;<br /><br />After all that manoeuvring, the Bulls are left with the following:<br /><br />Carmelo Anthony - $19,686,660<br />Derrick Rose - $18,862,876<br />Joakim Noah - $12,700,000<br />Taj Gibson - $8,000,000<br />Nikola Mirotic - $5,305,000<br />Doug McDermott - $2,277,960<br />D.J. Augustin - $2,077,000<br />Jimmy Butler - $2,008,748<br />Anthony Randolph - $1,825,359<br />Cameron Bairstow - $507,336<br />Richard Hamilton (waived) - $333,334<br /><br />TOTAL - $73,584,274<br /><br />They would still be three players short of a full roster, lack a true backup centre and have scant little guard depth. But what they would have would be a starting lineup of Rose, Butler, Anthony, Gibson and Noah, with a primary bench three of McDermott, Augustin and Mirotic. They would have $3,415,726 under the assumed $77 million luxury tax threshold to fill out the roster, and (most importantly) be $7,415,726 under the apron. They will have run out of free agency money save for the minimum salary exception, but that might be all they need, and <a href="http://www.thescore.com/nba/news/528321" target=_blank>Anthony Randolph is still plenty tradeable</a>. And they could also still use their trade exception of $1,074,720 to acquire one more player via trade. Remember - they never went under the cap, so they never lost this.<br /><br />As for the Knicks, they would have the following after the trade:<br /><br />Amar'e Stoudemire - $23,410,988<br />Andrea Bargnani - $11,500,000<br />Jose Calderon - $7,097,191<br />J.R. Smith - $5,982,375<br />Kirk Hinrich - $4,870,800<br />Samuel Dalembert - $4,051,527<br />Wayne Ellington - $2,771,340<br />Iman Shumpert - $2,616,975<br />Pablo Prigioni - $1,662,961<br />Shane Larkin - $1,606,080<br />Mike James - $1,448,490<br />Lamar Odom - $1,448,490<br />Tony Snell - $1,427,400<br />Lou Amundson - $1,310,286<br />Ronnie Brewer - $1,310,286<br />Shannon Brown - $1,310,286<br />Tim Hardaway Jr - $1,250,640<br />Greg Smith - $948,163<br />Jeremy Tyler - $948,163<br /><br />TOTAL - $76,972,441.<br /><br />The contracts of Tyler, Brown, Brewer, Amundson, James and Odom are all fully unguaranteed. Dalembert is guaranteed only $1,885,755 of his salary. Waive all them, and the Knicks would have only $65,144,913 in committed salary. They would have Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Cleanthony Early to come, plus exceptions to use - the Raymond Felton TPE of $3,637,073, the non-taxpayer MLE of $5.305 million and the BAE of $2.077 million all still intact.<br /><br />More importantly, headed into next offseason, their only players under contract after waiving Hinrich would be would be Calderon ($7,402,812), Larkin ($1,675,320, team option), Snell ($1,535,880, team option), Smith ($6,399,750, player option), Hardaway ($1,304,250, team option), Prigioni ($1,734,572, only $290,000 guaranteed) and whatever they give to Antetokoumpo and Early. This time next summer, they would be looking at the cap space for two maximum salary contracts AND the possibility of two first round picks that year. In this deal, then, they pick up future assets for a player who would otherwise walk, plus yet more flexibility, both this year and next. The Knicks obviously want Carmelo to stay so very very badly, but if he chooses to go, they can gain from it.<br /><br />The Bulls said they would have to be creative this summer. Does this count as that?<br />Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-38826255506586691512014-07-06T08:23:00.001+01:002014-07-06T08:23:41.513+01:002014 Summer League rosters - Detroit<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2021"><b><font size="3">Kentavious Caldwell-Pope</font></b></a> - It was a bit of a nothing season for KCP, who was given plenty of opportunity to succeed (80 games, 41 starts, 19.8 mpg) and simply didn't. He averaged only 5.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game, shooting 39.6% from the field and 31.9% from three, looking very awkward on the offensive end of the court. Caldwell-Pope faired better defensively, given plenty of big matchups (especially at the start of the season) and using his athleticism and wingspan to occasionally be a deterrent to any slashing guard, but on offense he mostly looked lost, was unreliable with the handle, and settled for far too many long twos. KCP projects to be a very good three and D role player, which would suffice despite his draft position, but he absolutely needs to spend the summer honing that jumpshot. There is something there to work with, yet a long way to go.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=176"><b><font size="3">Brian Cook</font></b></a> - The 33 year old Cook is back for one final go-around, joining the Jazz last year for training camp and now back in summer league for the first time in a decade. Cook however has not been an effective player for seven years, and, having not played in his time since being cut by the Jazz, hasn't done anything to show this will stop being the case any time soon.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1739"><b><font size="3">Justin Harper</font></b></a> - Seems Stan Van Gundy is bringing in all the stretch fours from his Orlando days. Or at least, that's what Harper was projected to be. He has not shot the ball well from three point range since leaving Richmond, hitting only 31.9% of his threes last season with Hapoel Tel-Aviv in Israel, on his way to 10.4 point and 5.1 rebound averages. Nevertheless, Harper can stretch the floor a little bit, and put in on the floor as well. SVG apparently went with a stretch four in his Magic days because he had not, not because he wanted to, but now it seems it's all just his desire.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2207"><b><font size="3">Jordan Heath</font></b></a> - Heath was profiled at length in the 2014 NCAA senior centres round-up, even though he's basically a power forward. A stretch one, at that. What are the odds? <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/06/centers.html#jordanheath">Click here.</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1107"><b><font size="3">Damion James</font></b></a> - James now has four years of NBA experience and an NBA championship ring to his name, despite playing all of 623 NBA minutes. So he's been opportunistic with his NBA gigs. All time not spent in the big D-League has been spent in its little brother, where a 12 game hot streak of 21.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game averages earned James an April call-up to the Spurs. The 6'7 James rebounds and passes well, but is a bit positionless defensively, better and more willing to defend the paint despite having an NBA small forward's physique. His offense is opportunistic with no go-to moves, and while he does enough to stay on the edge of the big league, he doesn't have the one bankable trait to keep him there.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1613"><b><font size="3">DeAndre Liggins</font></b></a> - Another former Van Gundy player with the Magic, Liggins spent 10 days with the Heat last season, and spent the rest of the time in the D-League. Given the opportunity to make quite a lot of plays, Liggins managed only a 4.7/3.0 assist to turnover ratio and just isn't that effective or efficient of one. He can see over the defense, drive the ball and has improved his three point shot to mediocre levels (and now takes too many), yet he is not good enough to merit the ball at the NBA level, and is not much use without it. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1305"><b><font size="3">David Lighty</font></b></a> - This is Lighty's third straight summer league, and it's going to lead to his third straight season in France, having already signed with ASVEL Villerbanne for next season. Last year in his second season with Nanterre, Lighty averaged 8.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 26 minutes per game, playing his familiar brand of versatile role playing defensive combo guardyness. It's probably not ever going to lead to an NBA gig - Chris Babb got one, but he's a better catch and shoot player. But Lighty should churn out some more good European years yet.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2168"><b><font size="3">Ian Miller</font></b></a> - Miller can score, and Lord does he try. He is a shooter, a good shooter, and a very very enthusiastic shooter. Despite being 6'3 and roughly 200lbs, he is not a point guard or a creator - he can get the ball over halfcourt for you, but he's not going to collapse and kick, hit a roll man, or do anything especially point guardy. He has the ball up top a lot, but it's in the hunt for a shot. <br /><br />Miller was pressed into this point guard masquerade in his time at Florida State, an act to which he committed his best. Miller can make the simple passes and handle the ball up top safely enough, which sufficed. It had to. His handle in traffic is less secure, however, and while he can use his good speed to get to the basket off ball screen action, he struggled to finish there, and instead settled for jumpers and floaters. Miller can nevertheless create jumpshots for himself with his speed and agility, pulling up on a dime and shooting a step back, and can make tough, contested shots. He has a quick release and NBA range (and if he doesn't have the latter, he soon will do), and can hit shots falling in all directions. Frankly, though, he chucks a few. He cannot end team scoring droughts in any way other than by chucking a shot, because he cannot consistently create them. And defensively, while Miller's good size and speed are good for the point guard spot, he gets lazy defensively at times and is too easily hung up on screens to prevent the drive.<br /><br />Players such as Jannero Pargo and Ian Clark have made the NBA with similar skill sets, but Miller has never really shown NBA talent. Bundesliga talent, yes.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2038"><b><font size="3">Tony Mitchell</font></b></a> - Mitchell only played 79 NBA minutes last season, but they were 79 good ones. You shouldn't extrapolate much from such limited time, but it's fun to do so, so why not. He barely got a chance at the big league level due to the continued mandatory persistence of the Josh Smith thing, and spent some time in the D-League. Down there, the reviews are mixed, averaging roughly 7 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes a game, also averaging a block and two turnovers per game. Mitchell is 22 now and cannot stay raw forever, and the Pistons are facing a bit of a roster pinch. He may especially feel it given that, as we see here, Stan Van Gundy seems to really want a stretch four, and Mitchell is not in. Nevertheless, his length, athleticism, rebounding and rim protectioon are still intriguing facets, even if his develop is going very slowly.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2007"><b><font size="3">Tim Ohlbrecht</font></b></a><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1742"><b><font size="3">Peyton Siva</font></b></a> - Siva has a contract for next year, but his spot is far from secure. He was the third point guard in the Pistons's rotation at that position, but despite Brandon Jennings's continued proving of the fact that he is not a lead guard, and Will Bynum's continued limited play (a score first player without three point range who turns it over too often ans is a very weak defensive player), Siva was still the last resort option and still worse. Siva struggled badly on the offensive end, committing many passing turnovers and unable to consistently finish any shot from any area. He did have some good outings in April once the season was effectively over, but that's small redemption for what was in total a wasted yet. He is here, then, with something simple yet important to prove - is he NBA calibre?<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Tristan Spurlock</font></b> - Spurlock just graduated from UCF, where he averaged 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks in 28.5 minutes per game as a senior. He also shot only 41.7% from the field for the second straight reason, largely because - what are the odds? - the 6'8 forward likes to take his three pointers. Half of Spurlock's field goal attempts were three pointers, and he shot only 33,1% on them, which wasn't anomalous. He always shoots in the low thirties on his threes, and has always taken a lot of them. But then, Spurlock is neither a scorer nor a rebounder. He is a finisher, athlete, dunker, catch-and-shoot player and transition runner at best; he does not take it in the post, and while he wants to be a face-up scorer, he cannot get to the rim consistently and has next to no mid range game. What Spurlock does have is good size and strength for the three position, athleticism and decent defensive instincts, plus the frame to employ them. You can be a wing player in the NBA even if you can't take a dribble. Gotta shoot higher than those low 30's, though. Spurlock has nice jump shot form that suggests he can improve in ths area, but he also has a history of inefficiency that confirms that he needs to.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2301"><b><font size="3">Markel Starks</font></b></a> - Starks is an extremely solid point guard in all facets of the game, be it as a scorer, playmaker or defender. <br /><br />As a defender, Starks fouls little and reads plays well, and generally puts forth a decent effort level albeit whilst slightly prone to giving up when beaten. He is small for the position and can be shot over, but it is not for a lack of contesting, and he moves his feet well to try to stay in front, rarely going for the steal. On offense, Starks rather lost his three point stroke last season and struggled to shoot over those bigger than he, which was quite a few. But inside the lane, he is very creative and skilled, with a strong mid-range game. Starks likes to attack the lane and gets there with body control, good feet and a relentless aggression; once there, he finishes fairly well at the basket for a small guard but better from slightly away from it, hitting floaters and runners and shooting pull-up jumpshots very well. Starks is a regular users of screens, and can either drive or pull-up in screen action, as well as being able to do that thing so few collegiate point guards can do and actually hit the roll man. He has great body control, decent speed and runs the break fairly well, and although there are some bad decisions on both passes and jumpshots along the way, Starks nevertheless much improved his IQ throughout his Hoyas career and became a leader of his team. He finds team mates, hits cutters, and has got the speed.<br /><br />This ultimately is a package that may struggle to translate at the NBA level, due to his size. Starks struggles against bigger guards, and NBA guards are mostly going to be bigger than he is. However, if he gets the pull-up three to the same standard as the pull-up two, he has a chance some day.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2066"><b><font size="3">Christian Watford</font></b></a> - Oh look, another stretch forward. Since he was last profiled at last summer league, Watford has spent a year in Israel with Hapoel Eliat, averaging 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 26 minutes per game, taking almost three three pointers per game, but hitting only 30.6% of them. He still wants to be a shooter, but he wasn't that good of one last year, as opposed to the 40%+ of his junior and senior years. Committing himself to the rebounding glass will make him not be so reliant on the jumpshot to be effective, though he seems not to want this. Watford can score inside the arc, draw fouls, post and drive occasionally, yet it is apparently Brian Cook he is targeting, so hopefully they'll make friends.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-17035472403724562262014-07-06T06:40:00.001+01:002014-07-06T17:29:18.175+01:002014 Summer League rosters - Boston<b><font size="3">O.D. Anosike</font></b> - Anosike played in summer league last year with the Nuggets, then split last year between Italy and France. He started in Italy with Pesaro, and averaged 14.3 points and a league leading 13.1 rebounds in 35 minutes per game. He then bought himself out of his contract in May and finished the season with Strasbourg, where he did little in six games, averaging only 4.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 19 minutes per game. The 6'7 Anosike is self-evidently an extremely proficient rebounder - strong, relentless, a decent athlete and a tireless worker, he uses his strength and determination to clean the boards, box out and rebound out of his area. The offensive skills, however, are lacking - Anosike posts little, shoots less, has no range and a very poor free throw stroke, good for some occasional pick and roll action but a finisher in the paint at best, and even then not the best one. Given his size, the fact that he is exclusively a paint player and the fact that he does not protect the rim, Anosike has few hopes of joining the NBA level. But Italy will have him back for many a year to come.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2082"><b><font size="3">Chris Babb</font></b></a> - Babb started the season with the Celtics and also ended it there. He is signed through 2017, albeit all unguaranteed from here on out, and played 14 games with the team down the stretch. He didn't play them well, exclusively casting up threes and missing most of them, but he played them nonetheless. In the time in between, Babb played 33 D-League games with the Maine Red Claws and averaged 12.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 37.5 minutes per game. As effective of a role player as Babb is - demonstrating good IQ, moving the ball around, throwing the occasional nice pass, rebounding a bit, and of course catching and shooting - it is a bit odd why the Celtics see so much in a player who just isn't that productive and who is merely a decent shooter on low volume, wide open attempts. They clearly like his chances of being a quality defensive player at the two guard position, despite being slightly small for the position and not a great athlete. It's a generous projection. But given that Babb contributes a bit of everything (save for penetrating the first line of a defense or contributing any offense inside the arc) whilst making strikingly few errors and playing hard, it's easy enough to see what they like. They might run out of roster spots, though.<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Dairis Bertans</font></b> - Davis's brother is smaller at 6'4, older at 24, and is a slightly undersized (for the NBA) shooting guard instead of a forward. He is something of a classic Eastern European guard, a pick-and-roll role player who runs around a lot but doesn't leap, who defends by rotating and fouling (they're told to) rather than being able to lock anyone up, and who shoots well without being exceptional at it. Save for his occasional secondary ball handling and pick and roll action. Bertrans only really contributes as a scorer, prepared to go into the trees off a screen with a decent change of speed but struggling against size while in there, and even more prepared to pull up for a jumper or catch and shoot from long range, whilst taking a few more than he should in the process. It might translate to the NBA if he was bigger, but it's not going to at a grounded 6'4.<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Daniel Coursey</font></b> - Coursey is the type of summer league discovery that makes you glad you take notes on absolutely everybody you watch, even when that somebody is just a 10ppg power forward from Mercer. Mind you, there weren't many of them. Here they are quoted verbatim.<br /><br /><blockquote><i>Very good shotblocker, team's only one. Good rebounder. Efficient, no range. Lefty. Not powerful. Finisher. Lefty hook out of the post but not much from down there. Great timing from the help side. Very lefty. Bites on perimeter fakes.</i></blockquote><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2052"><b><font size="3">Colton Iverson</font></b></a> - The Celtics' draft pick from last season, Iverson turned down a training camp invite to go to Turkey with Besiktas, to continue the strong legacy of Iversons with that team. In 29 games of Turkish league play, he averaged 6.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 fouls in 14.9 minutes per game, shooting 51% from the field and 49% from the line. Iverson is in to fulfil a role - offensive rebound, putbacks, finish around the rim and push everybody around. It's a limited if useful role, but without being much of a rim protector and with very limited scoring talent and range, it's likely not an NBA one.<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Edwin Jackson</font></b> - Long since on the NBA radar, Jackson went undrafted in 2011, and this is his first time in any summer league. The 6'3 French-American combo guard has become one of the best players in his domestic league, averaging 18.0 points and 2.3 assists in 32 minutes per game, and is certainly an NBA calibre scorer. He's also an NBA calibre athlete, undersized for the shooting guard position but with long arms and good speed, adept at finishing around the rim (and getting there) despite his size and able to shoot over everybody. The knock on Jackson has always been that he takes too many jumpshots, and he still does - he is a good not great shooter who could see a spike in his percentages once he realises an improvement in his shot selection. Nevertheless, the guy really knows how to score, in a Leandro Barbosa type of way. It's a translatable skill, easily, and he has a chance at the NBA.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1887"><b><font size="3">Chris Johnson</font></b></a> - Johnson is also signed through 2017 and being taught to become the next Keith Bogans. Corner threes, catch and shoots, decent if slightly overstated man to man perimeter defense, and the like. He misses quite a lot of open shots from the corner and the wing so it's going swimmingly so far.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1998"><b><font size="3">Mike Moser</font></b></a> - Moser is a fairly quirky player who apparently has decided that he wants to be a three point shooter. Historically, he has not been good at this, but an uptick as a senior to 37.8% at least justifies it a bit. now. Not strong or wide, the 6'8 Moser is not built to play the traditional power forward spot at a professional level that he has done so much at the collegiate level, but he nonetheless is a good rebounder with a motor and some athleticism. <br /><br />What Moser could be is a face-up four in a small forward's body. He likes to get out in transition and is a good athletic finisher, who finishes looks on offense rather than creates them. He catches and shoots despite his flat footed release, he finishes around the basket, and he gets a few off of putbacks. Moser's shot selection is not the best, especially with the jumpshot he continues to adore, but he can put the ball on the floor against flat footed opponents (especially after up-faking a closing-out defender), utilises a spin move, can pass off the drive, and somewhat makes up for poor defensive effort with his nose for the ball.<br /><br />All of which is going to make him a solid Israeli league player.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2492"><b><font size="3">Devin Oliver</font></b></a> - As a senior, Oliver averaged a solid but unremarkable 11.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, but certainly enjoyed the benefits and was a big part of Dayton's tournament run. He has spent the last couple of years adapting his versatile game to being more perimeter centric, as that is what his 6'6, 225lbs frame is catered for. He has added a catch and shoot three, which is much improved and which should translate, even though he barely jumps on it. He is still not the best ball handler, at all, especially with the right hand, but he can straight line drive it and cut to the rim off the ball. And while his perimeter defense is a bit unproven given the amount of time he spent defending the paint, he ought be fast enough to keep up there. If the versatile and high IQ Oliver can become more of a full time perimeter player, then his strong post-up offensive game becomes a big mismatch weapon. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2014"><b><font size="3">Kelly Olynyk</font></b></a> - Save for the fouls and turnovers, Olynyk had a decent rookie season. He rebounded, played his high IQ game, shared the ball, and scored if not entirely efficiently on offense. He might not be fast enough to play the stretch four spot, and although he has bulked up, maybe he's never going to be big enough to play the five spot. Projecting a position for him defensively isn't easy. But he's plenty solid enough. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1979"><b><font size="3">Phil Pressey</font></b></a> - Pressey is an excellent passer out of the pick and roll. Very excellent. And his overall floor game continues to develop - an assist to turnover ratio of nearly three to one is good from anyone and very much so from an overmatched rookie. But overmatched is the big word there. The small Pressey just looked like he couldn't make a shot at the NBA level, even though he continues to try, a great passer and terrible scorer who still tries to score. He still takes ones he can't make, and while it is understood he needs defenses to respect the jumpshot so as to be able to penetrate them, he can't shoot and it hurts the team when he tries. With two other non-shooting point guards in the fold next year, Pressey's position and his unguaranteed contract are under threat. Best get them shots up in practice.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2010"><b><font size="3">Marcus Smart</font></b></a> - Smart can't shoot, that much we know. He's not a half court point guard, either, not even especially close to what John Wall was at this age, back when John Wall wasn't much of a half court point guard either. As much as he attacks, throws himself to the rim and gets to the line, he also drives into trouble without knowing why at times, looks to score before he looks to pass, and seems to not have the best offensive IQ. Smart's physical stature allows for some slightly quirky usage as a point guard, not just driving around screens but also setting them, which might be fun to see with Olynyk down the road, but at this point his passing vision, consistency and understandings of time and score all need a lot of work, work that comes through experience. He seemed to struggle much more against better quality competition, which doesn't bode well, and was pretty inconsistent. The biggest thing Smart could do to help himself is to stop taking overconfident jumpshots early in the clock, many of which would be bad shots even for good shooters, which he certainly is not. Maybe he learns, maybe he doesn't. His offensive skill set in the half court is a legitimate concern and needs a lot ot work.<br /><br />However, ignore that for the moment. Look at the defensive play. Smart has greater size, greater athleticism, terrific lateral quickness and a high motor. He should <i>dominate</i> the point guard position on defense. Smart is disruptive, persistent and energetic, an absolute harasser on that end. He is strong, he is fast, and he gets to the spot before the defender. Smart takes charges, flops egregiously (which is sort of a virtue, however noxious), and has chase-down blocks in a way that no other point guard really does. He is not ready made on this end, and will probably make some rookie mistakes with fouls and missed rotations in the early days. But he is so, so projectable on that end.<br /><br />There's a long way to go on offense. But just being as athletic as he is will be half the battle won. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2188"><b><font size="3">James Young</font></b></a> - Young came into his freshman with a great reputation, one partly born out of his supposed offensive instincts. But they weren't on show. Players with offensive instincts should not look as lost and motionless as he did when off the ball. They should move, cut, get open, and not just stand there. Players with offensive instincts should not jump to pass several times a game like Young did. Players with offensive instincts shouldn't drive into traffic relentlessly without knowing why they are doing it, without it being the percentage play, without there being any real chance of getting to the rim or drawing a foul because the defender got into position about half an hour before the drive even started. But Young did all these things all year young, showing only slight improvement by the year's end. His fundamentals were weak, his IQ low, his passing vision and decision making poor. He rarely used screens or fakes, threw it away so often, and his shot creating abilities involved either the aforementioned drives to nowhere or just raising up and shooting. <br /><br />Mind you, he's been drafted low enough to get away with it. Because the potential is there. Young is a big wing with fluid mobility and an extra gear at times, who could be an excellent shooter and an excellent defender. The jumpshot form is decent enough, and the results mostly good - if he hones it further, improves his consistency, improves his selection and learns how to create better looks like fakes, jab steps and the like, he could be one of the league's better shooters. And with his size and quick release, it will be tough to block. Young is confident, we'll give him that, and is no shrinking violet which will help his shooting prowess. His handle is sloppy and he ought never be expected to be a regular slasher to the rim, but if he can better recognises what is already a decent pull-up jumpshot, that will give him some effectiveness inside the arc too. He can run the court and finish at the rim, which would suffice as an offensive package were he never to develop much of a slashing game or learn how effective dive cuts can be. The same package is true of his defensive projection, where his size, long arms and mobility bode well, although he needs to plug in all the time and want to attack the glass. He is of course young and in a situation where he can develop, so there's plenty of scope for improvement, and plenty of reason to expect it.<br /><br />But, meh. Long way to go. Long long way to go.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-79076658737811017272014-07-06T05:12:00.000+01:002014-07-06T08:28:21.459+01:002014 Summer League rosters - Indiana<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1783"><b><font size="3">Lavoy Allen</font></b></a> - Allen was the third part of the Danny Granger/Evan Turner trade, but has barely improved in three years. He is still one of the most inefficient scorers in the league - he can hit a mid-range shot, but he only takes them, and there's nothing efficient about a mid range jump shot. You have to hit 50% of them just to score a point per possession, with very few foul shots in the process, and Allen has yet to add the three point range to it. On the plus side, the rest of his game outside of scoring is very solid. He picked up his rebounding rate last year, still passes well, and defends through physicality, temperament and IQ rather than length or athleticism. Allen is said to already have agreed a deal to re-sign with the Pacers, which makes plenty of sense, because he is a very solid backup power forward. They can now waive Luis Scola, save money, and lose little.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2178"><b><font size="3">Eric Atkins</font></b></a> - Atkins is very hardy, playing huge minutes in almost every game. In those minutes, he is a very steadying presence, sporting an assist/turnover ratio of slightly over 2.5 to one and making very few mistakes. The trade-off is an absence of dynamic play.<br /><br />Reasonably big for a point guard, but not especially fast or athletic, Atkins does not has the speed to consistently penetrate the first line of the defense and collapse it. He racks up his assists through feeding the post and moving it around without making bad passes, rather than through drawing the defense. Atkins is not a particularly bold or audacious ball handler, either, but he keeps the dribble alive and rarely loses it, partly because he rarely takes it into traffic but also because of the same attention to not making mistakes. He is a good shooter with good shot selection, who can shoot off a screen when off the ball or off the catch and shoot, albeit not being as good off the dribble. His lack of athleticism make it difficult for him to ever be a great slasher to the basket or finisher once he gets there, but Atkins plays within these limitations and exhibits strong discipline and good IQ. The same story carries over to the defensive end, where, despite being outquicked at times, Atkins uses poise, position and IQ to do a decent job of keeping opposing guards out of the lane, and where his size is more of a virtue.<br /><br />This doth not an NBA player make. But it certainly does make a pro, and Atkins will make money somewhere.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2087"><b><font size="3">Dee Bost</font></b></a> - Waived by the Blazers out of last year's training camp, Bost went to the D-League to form an insanely dynamic back court with Pierre Jackson. He averaged 15.2 points, 8.4 assists and 2.1 steals in 40 minutes per game of all 50 contests, and did the majority of the ball handling that allowed Jackson to do what he did best. Bost has many faults - he is still a poor shooter, still acts like he isn't, is still a bit ineffective in the lane however well he can get there, is still sporadic defensively, and still gets very careless. But when he's on, he is incredibly dynamic, fast, impossible to stop in transition and a real nuisance. He's the opposite of Atkins, actually.<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Jackie Carmichael</font></b> - After summer league last year, Carmichael initially landed one of the few spots available to American rookies in the Spanish ACB when he joined Bilbao, but he rather struck out and came back to the D-League with the Iowa Energy. In 39 games there, he averaged 23.3 minutes, 9.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, shooting 49% from the field and 68.8% from the line. Carmichael plays in the paint on both ends, where he rebounds, posts, seals and finishes, and protects the rim quite well while wanting to step out as little as possible. He made quite a few mistakes with the Energy and was quite inconsistent, but another year there might do him wonders.<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Frank Gaines</font></b> - Gaines won the D-League Most Improved Player award last season, which unlike the NBA MIP documents improving within one season, not from season to season. He spent the year with the Maine Red Claws and started from the bench, but quickly showed he was too good to stay there, and was soon in a starting role getting as many minutes as he could handle. Gaines ultimately finished the season averaging 22.4 points in only 35.4 minutes per game, with some huge scoring nights along the way, including a 47 pointer. The pace of the D-League helped him there, especially the frenetic pace the Red Claws played at in the second half of the year, but it's not as though everyone else was doing this. The lefty 6'3 or 6'4 off guard is a bit undersized, but his scoring instincts are impeccable, his skills well developed, his aggression unrelenting. Gaines also does it while playing little isolation ball, and scores without the ball in his hands much - running the court unstoppably, cutting off the ball, spotting up and using some screen action to absolutely make the most of his touches. He wrong foots defenders on closeouts rather than breaking them off the dribble, drives both ways, hits tough ones, and has the athleticism to get where he wants go to. Hitherto overlooked, Gaines made himself unmissable last year, and although he has already signed for next year with JuveCaserta in Italy, this won't be his last rodeo.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1685"><b><font size="3">Solomon Hill</font></b></a> - Hill's rookie year wasn't great. Per 36 minutes, he averaged only 7.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, shooting 42.5% from the field and 30.8% from three for a 7.6 PER. Some of his main virtues include his IQ high play, his unselfishness, his recognition of his limitations and his discipline to play within them. But he's not going to survive if he's THAT passive. Improving the catch and shoot jumper will stand him in great stead, as long as he's willing to take them.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1886"><b><font size="3">DeQuan Jones</font></b></a> - Jones spent last year with the Reno Bighorns of the D-League, unable to get another season in the NBA. He shot 40.4% from three point range on his way to 13.6 points in 30 minutes per game, and finally showed some signs of being the athletic three-and-D role player Orlando seemingly thought he could be. It still doesn't explain why they signed him so early, long before he had evidenced this, but Jones did half of what he needed to do. Now he really needs to commit to his man-to-man D.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1410"><b><font size="3">Kevin Jones</font></b></a> - Jones spent most of last year with the Canton Charge of the D-League once again, averaging 16.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 fouls per game, and then went to the Philippines after being unable to get an NBA call-up in order to get some money. For some reason, Jones - who shot 40% from three as a sophomore and was a real stretch four threat - has put the outside shot away, hitting only one three pointer in the D-League last season on six attempts. This would be fine if he made up for the efficiency in other ways, but Jones rarely gets to the line, shooting one free throw for every 4.5 field goal attempts. Jones is offensively very talented and very smooth - a finisher around the basket, a transition player, a finesse post man with touch and a pick-and-pop option, who for some reason these days only pops from two. He rebounds well, is athletic and plays with a motor, but is not strong nor a rim protector and needs that offensive efficiency to maximise all his talent. Take a step back, Kevin! Stretch fours who rebound as well as you do are coveted these days!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2059"><b><font size="3">C.J. Leslie</font></b></a> - In 34 games last year for the Erie BayHawks, Leslie averaged 13.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks in only 24.5 minutes per game. He also recorded two turnovers per game and insisted on taking 41 three pointers, even though he still can't shoot them. This is the frustrating thing with Leslie - an athletic specimen, Leslie just wants to be an alpha scorer, a shooter and a perimeter player, an isolation player, a wing threat. And he isn't. If he could settle for occasional driver and defensive disruptor, this would be grand, but he has yet to embrace a role other than 'star', and he hasn't star talent.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=560"><b><font size="3">Roger Mason</font></b></a> - Mason's presence on this roster is an odd one. It's strangely pleasing to see him be willing to do what it takes to get back into the NBA, rather than wait for the phone to ring and slowly becoming forgotten, but the book on him is well established - he'll catch and shoot threes, has pretty much lost his defense, and that's about it. Mind you, it worked for Rasual Butler, who fell out of the NBA for the entire 2012/13 season but who made it back for 2013/14 after joining a summer league team. And where did he do that? Indiana.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2096"><b><font size="3">James Nunnally</font></b></a> - After a year and a half with Orlando Johnson, the Pacers are bringing in another UCSB Gaucho in the form of Nunnally, who played in the NBA last year with both the Hawks and Pacers. Nunnally has developed a strong all-around game - efficient, versatile, a scorer and passer, a defender and decent athlete. He stands out in no one facet of the game, perhaps, but he contributes everywhere. Indiana might be a tough spot to get minutes, however, given their wing depth. They already have Solomon Hill and Chris Copeland, they're bringing in CJ Miles and Damjan Rudez, and Nunnally is not replacing Lance Stephenson any time soon. Nevertheless, Nunnally remains in the conversation of a midseason call-up, because he is good.<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Jake Odum</font></b> - Odum is one of only two first year players on this team, fresh out of Indiana State and the beneficiary of hometown ties. But he is also here on merit. Odum averaged 13.1 points and 4.6 assists per game, alongside 1.9 turnovers per game, shot 8.6 field goals and 6.7 free throws per game, but made only 22 three pointers per game, and made only 74 in his collegiate career. He is a big point guard at 6'4, but not a fast one, which hinders him defensively along with the shot that hinders him offensively. What he can do is get to the basket and into the paint regularly off of screens, whereby he can kick to the corners, drop it off, and the get the ball to wherever it needs to go. He will take the contact, finish tough runners and high bankers even when smothered by size, and attack the rim at every opportunity. A true point guard with vision, unselfishness, creativity and the ability to get passes through the tightest of angles, Odum has big limitations and never did learn to shoot, but pick and roll play like that is great for certain European leagues. So if he gets any minutes, he'll be hoping the European scouts are watching.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1298"><b><font size="3">Arinze Onuaku</font></b></a> - Onuaku popped up briefly in the NBA with the Pelicans last year, and spent the rest of his time in the D-League. In 32 games with the Canton Charge, Onuaku averaged 14.8 points and 10.0 rebounds, good numbers that become brilliant when you consider he started only 11 games and averaged 24 minutes a contest. Onuaku always had amazing touch around the rim and was always a threat to catch, seal and finish with either hand, but he has spent the past two seasons rebounding the bejeezus out of the ball. He is undersized for the centre spot, turns 27 next week, is not very athletic and projects as a poor interior defender at the NBA level, not being a rim protector and exposable with his lack of lateral quickness. He is also exposable offensively with his lack of range and dreadful foul shooting. But my word he got productive lately. If you need extremely efficient layups and plenty of rebounds, this is your man.<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Sadiel Rojas</font></b> - Rojas spent his third straight season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and has improved in each one of them. Last season he recorded 12.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals in slightly more than 30 minutes per game, shooting 44.9% from the field and 36.3% from the field. He is a tough, aggressive and relentless wing defender who over time has been adding to his offensive game, most evidently by the addition of a catch and shoot three point shot. He handles little and still is not much of a creator, limited to fairly rudimentary drives, yet he plays within his limitations whilst constantly pushing back at them, and . Rojas is undersized for an NBA wing and not hugely athletic, and is still therefore unlikely to make the NBA as a three and D role player. But he's become a very good one at the D-League level, and won't be faulted for his toughness or energy ever. Very likable, if limited.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1145"><b><font size="3">Donald Sloan</font></b></a> - Sloan spent the whole of last season, having had $350,000 of his contract guaranteed for the season, but in his first full NBA season, he struggled considerably. Sloan played 48th games and finished fourth last amongst qualified players (434th out of 437) in real plus-minus, ahead of only Byron Mullens, Elliot Williams and Dennis Schroeder, and was last on the Pacers in net points by quite a long way. He played point guard exclusively, but he just cannot run an NBA offense - it was always the question about him, but now it's proven. And if he's going to possibly be a shooting guard, he needs to be able to shoot much better than that. Sloan can defend the point guard spot, but he can't play it on offense, and he doesn't defend it well enough to obscure this.<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Tyler Stone</font></b> - As a senior at SE Missouri State, the 6'8 230lbs Stone averaged 19.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game, shooting 54.4% from the field and 33.8% from three. He is athletic, with long arms and wiry strength, but slightly undersized for the power forward spot, and the three pointer is a new development to aid the transition to the combo forward spot. Stone also shoots mid-range jumpers, and, if he adds that range, projects nicely as a face-up smaller four. He handles the ball little and is caught between positions a little, very untested at this point, but his athleticism is ready to go. Summer league will be a good barometer for him, should he get much court time. Stone has already agreed to sign with Besiktas in Turkey for next season, but can nevertheless lay some ground work here for future years.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-45399855112179293232014-07-05T05:32:00.001+01:002014-07-05T06:14:14.830+01:002014 Summer League rosters: Philadelphia<a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1903"><b><font size="3">Nerlens Noel</font></b></a> - Noel will be the best player from the 2013 draft, barring more significant injuries. There is no reason why this as-near-as-is 7 footer with wingspan, athleticism, instincts, anticipation, body control and hustle should not average 10 points and 3 blocks per game at his peak. The offensive end is less certain, as is the fit alongside <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2193"><b>Joel Embiid</b></a>, but that's all stuff that can be worked out down the right. As of right now, the Sixers landed the two best talents in back-to-back drafts without a number one overall pick to do so. And the fact that both have been injured sufficiently to keep the tank open is even better.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2134"><b><font size="3">Casper Ware</font></b></a> - Ware is signed through 2017 with the Sixers, although this being they, that does not mean much, as it is all fully unguaranteed from here on out. He squeaked into nine games with the team at the end of last season and did what he always does - score. He also defends well for his size, moving the feet well and being generally pesky, even when generally pesky. It is going to be a problem for Ware that the Sixers have obtained the draft rights to Pierre Jackson, because as good as Ware is for a 5'10 scorer with a merely adequate floor game, Jackson is a better. Ware, then, needs to win (or hold) his spot through this defensive pressure.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2247"><b><font size="3">Ronald Roberts</font></b></a> - Roberts was one of the best athletes in this draft, or indeed in any draft. He has a decent frame, decent wingspan and decent strength, terrific leaping ability, good speed, and a LONG first step. His athleticism is magnetic and tantalising, because few can impact a game through their ability to jump alone in the way he can.<br /><br />There is a modicum of skill to go with it, but not as much as the athleticism. Roberts shoots a mid-range jumpshot, but he shoots it flat and he does not shoot it very well, things both also true of his free throw stroke. He occasionally drops a hook shot, but is not asked to isolate down low often at all. Rather, he is a finisher on offense, not a creator. Roberts will clatter his way to the rim at times with that long first step of his, and draws plenty of fouls called on him as he is completely unafraid to take it at people, but the offense is a continued work in progress. The best part of his offensive game is the offensive rebounding, yet Roberts negates this by being a distinctly poor defensive rebounder, born out of a lack of desire to box out. He remains very much a project, then.<br /><br />Defensively, things are going better. Through his speed alone, Roberts is a weak side presence and constant help defender, who plays tough. He moves around well - how could he not? - and generally plays hard without committing too many fouls, save for occasionally quitting when beaten. He projects well on this end, as long as he can clean the glass and develop the offense a bit. Roberts's athleticism, speed, hands and transition game already translate, but he needs to develop his skills and cut down the mistakes. It will be interesting to see if this summer league spot is a precursor to a training camp contract on a small guarantee, itself a precursor to a season in the D-League, where the Sixers can monitor him, develop him, and be ready to pounce. In fact, I think I expect this.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1712"><b><font size="3">Aaron Craft</font></b></a> - Aaron Craft is the Derek Jeter of basketball, universally lauded by every broadcast team that ever took to the sport and universally loathed by everyone other than fans of his team precisely because of this undue love. He is lauded in his way basically for his effort, but also because of the perception of IQ this gives off. He 'plays the game the right way', 'knows how to play the game', and of course, he 'does whatever it takes to win'. As long as whatever it takes to win is within his very limited skillset.<br /><br />Craft is known for his physical, tenacious defense. He moves he feet well, uses his strength and bodies up everyone, with a terrific motor, good hands, good anticipation and the relentless desire to be an absolute pest. He is relentlessly aggressive and never seems to run out of energy and hustle, which is the guaranteed way to win the hearts and minds of observers disdainful of everyone who doesn't do this. He gets away with things others never could in the process, and does dirty things at times, but it's all a part of the package. It's also pretty much all of the package, because offensively, Craft offers little. He is certainly a willing ball mover and a pass-first point, and boasts decent passing vision at times. But he is also thoroughly undynamic, rarely penetrates the first line of the defense, and is more steady than probing. And his own scoring skills are lacking - the unathletic and undersized Craft does very little in the paint, and is a poor shooter both off the dribble and off the catch.<br /><br />By moving his feet quickly and being really annoying to his opponents, Craft has won over the very types of people who make the sort of decisions he is now faced with. But the NBA has mostly moved on from its <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=67"><b>Eric Snow</b></a>, <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=308"><b>Kevin Ollie</b></a> and <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=367"><b>Rick Brunson</b></a> days. Craft is too small, slow, unathletic and undynamic to make it as an NBA defensive specialist point guard. You have to be Patrick Beverley to do that now. And Aaron Craft is no <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1196"><b>Patrick Beverley</b></a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2271"><b><font size="3">Isaiah Sykes</font></b></a> - Sykes is a quirky player who lef UCF in pretty much every category, with one big drawback. A ball dominant lefty shooting guard, Sykes's game is hindered by a lack of jumpshot. He hits a few mid range shots, but takes much more than a few, and lacks three point range. Given his established lack of jumpshot and proven driving game, he is always given the jumpshot if he wants it, and he almost always takes it, with a long and slow release that doesn't even disguise it. This does not work out. And it follows logically that he is also a poor foul shooter.<br /><br />Sykes makes up for it elsewhere on offense by doing it all. He is always looking for the drive, and gets there with craft rather than explosion. He has a very solid handle of the ball for an off guard, can drive both ways (albeit always finishing left), shoots bankers, and makes enough contested ones from midrange. Sykes was asked to be UCF's option every trip down, and while this slowed the game up and he was guilty of stopping the ball at times, he was also their best option in the halfcourt, demonstrating good vision whilst carrying much of the scoring load. He will make mistakes at times, and is not efficient because of the lack of shot, but he will push the ball and rebound the glass, going coast to coast at times. He consistently makes tough ones and he consistently had to. Defensively, he needs to improve his rotations and help defense, but with his size and decent athleticism he can keep an opponent out of the paint, as well as crash the glass.<br /><br />Ultimately, the profile and projection is all hindered by the lack of a shot. With it, his inefficient game would be a lot more efficient. But even with it, Sykes is sufficiently ball dominant that it's a mystery how he would fit alongside a point guard of some calibre. He can't be the primary playmaker if the team is to be any good, for he is too inefficient and mistake prone. So it is tough to project a fit for Sykes.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1721"><b><font size="3">Hollis Thompson</font></b></a> - Thompson played 1,742 minutes as a Sixer last year, getting 41 starts. He showed some signs of being a three-and-D role player, hitting 40.1% of his threes on the season. It was a very low number of shots, though, making one three pointer every 26 minutes, and was somehow still the majority of his offensive game. Thompson barely troubled the glass, did not create for himself or others, and really was quite limited in his role - he shot the ball if he was open, either moved it on or never caught it in the first place if he didn't. On the defensive end, he was athletic and keen, much keener than the rest of the backcourt he was playing with, and certainly an improvement upon them. He was heady and disciplined, contesting without fouling or overplaying, moving his feet and rarely quitting on any plays. But he wasn't exactly locking anyone down either. And so while his presence last year was refreshing in light of the deliberately poor situation he was put in, Thompson is one of the very players the deliberate losing seeks to seriously upgrade. He could stick as a role player, but he's going to have to shoot more, because this is not Bruce Bowen.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2340"><b><font size="3">Travis Bader</font></b></a> - Bader is a very good shooter with a quick release, plenty of action off of screens, and the ability to go straight up, quickly. He is of course consciousless from three, willing to take any look he is given, yet he does not take poor ones often, always willing until he has a little bit of space. And he only needs a little bit of space. Bader is a very hardy soul, playing almost every minutes of every game, and is in constant motion in that time, trying to get free. Should he not get entirely free, he can hit when contested, and can shoot off the move with a decent change of speed. Bader is not entirely limited to the three, either - he can step in for a two, step back for a tough two, and very occasionally barrel into the trees off a curl if the defense overplays for the jumpshot.<br /><br />Scoring, though, is all Bader does. He does not rebound, he rarely handles, and as much as he tries on defense, he is not big or fast and has no great gifts with his hands. He only gets to the line the decent amount that he does because he is the team's designated foul shooter, so even the ridiculously good free throw percentage does not add much value as he rarely takes them. He looks to have little passing vision, and is not a playmaker for anyone other than himself. He is in only to score, and even that is almost always a jumpshot. Said jumpshots come around screens and off catches, not off the bounce, and he is only as good as the looks he is given. If they are not there, nor is he. Bader, then, is very very one dimensional. He's not <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2363"><b>Ethan Wragge</b></a> out there, yet there's mot as much in it as you might hope. And Wragge is at least bigger.<br /><br />Is it enough to get to the next level anyway? Yes, possibly. But this is not a <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=306"><b>Kyle Korver</b></a> level of shooter right here. Not yet, at least. Given a smaller offensive responsibility, maybe we will start to see that he is.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2202"><b><font size="3">Jerami Grant</font></b></a> - Grant fell down boards, despite his athletic prowess, on account of not having one go-to facet of his game. His biggest virtue is looking the part - very athletic, long and wiry strong, he has what would be an ideal small forward's body type. But as it is, he's a power forward through and through.<br /><br />Grant is a very poor shooter who also displays little handle on the ball. He has body control and likes a spin move, but the ball doesn't always come with him when he performs it. A long way short of being a small forward, Grant is not even close to being a regularly effective face-up power forward at this stage. Nor indeed are his skills as a traditional paint power forward all that much more advanced. Grant rarely posts and looks unready when he does, and offensively is a finisher at best.<br /><br />What he does however bring are the unmissable physical tools, and an idea of how to use them regardless of the limitations of his skill set. Grant runs the floor on offense and finishes well at the rim, and also cuts to the rim in timely fashion to finish without having to handle too much. He can sneak through gaps with great body control, and also can do the one or two dribbles necessary to get to the rim past slow or overplaying defenders, where again he can finish explosively. The defensive end is the one where he is set to thrive - disruptive and committed, Grant can stay in front of wing players and does a fairly good job of bodying up opposing power forwards like himself. He needs some more weight, but that will come.<br /><br />Grant looks a pro, and surely will be. There's a long way to go yet, but then again, what rush were Philadelphia ever in?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2447"><b><font size="3">JaKarr Sampson</font></b></a> - Sampson is one of the best athletes on the list. A really tremendous leaper with length and great size for the position, on physical tools alone, he is the template you would draw a small forward from if such a small forward template service was available. The skills are less templatey, though.<br /><br />Sampson is old for a sophomore, having turned 21 in March, and there is a lot of work to do. Some of it is in the frame - thin and wiry, Sampson can be muscled off the spot when driving and on the glass, two areas which need to be mainstays of his game. He will not attack a shotblocker despite his leaping ability as he struggles to take the contact, But some of it is just a lack of skill. Sampson's dribbling ability is entirely with his right hand - it's a high dribble which he cannot seem to change direction from, and he cannot normally stop once he's started. He barrels in blind and makes bad decisions once there, that bad decision normally being one that involves continuing to barrel in. There exists the occasional pull-up jumpshot, but the form on that and any jumpshot is really rather ugly and snatchy, and Sampson lacks any range because of it. He is also a poor foul shooter and rarely gets there due to his lack of handle and strength, which when combined with his absence of a three point stroke, makes for quite the inefficient dunking machine. <br /><br />Mind you, the athleticism cures these ills pretty well. The handle is not great, as explained above, but Sampson can go from the arc to the rim in one power dribble, so often times he doesn't need much more than that. Sampson can dunk everything, from out of nowhere at times, and is always a threat for a lob play. Furthermore, his length is a defensive deterrent - his defensive focus and effort are not consistent, but so long and bouncy is he that he can recover quickly and shut off driving lanes just by sticking his arms out. He runs the court well and sometimes hustles off the ball for looks. But like the rebounding, he needs to do those things more than he does.<br /><br />This is the issue with Sampson. He does some things well, and some things badly, yet he won't stick to that which he does well enough. The athleticism is tantalising, but it doesn't take long to look beyond.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2228"><b><font size="3">Talib Zanna</font></b></a> - Zanna was covered comprehensively in the 2014 NCAA senior centres round-up. <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/06/centers.html#talibzanna">Click here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Ed Daniel</font></b> - Daniel was with the Hawks last year in summer league following his senior season at Murray State in which he was a nightly double double. In the time hence, he has been in Italy with Pistoia, averaging 8.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.2 fouls and 2.2 turnovers in 26 minutes per game. He is an athlete and a very good athlete at that, a hectic player who crashes the glass, attacks anyone in his path both offensively and defensively, and plays with a lot of energy. He uses his physical tools to win possessions, posts on occasion, plays physical and drives into contact willingly, whilst also swatting and deflecting some shots and passes in the painted area. Unfortunately for Daniel, he is a power forward in a small forward's 6'7 frame. And for all the small adjustments he is making to his game to try and become more of a perimeter forward, he still is best around the basket and surely always will be. <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1117"><b>Damion James</b></a> is a similar sort of player who has managed a few NBA seasons with a similar skill set, but he is slightly bigger, slightly better with the handle and the shot, slightly better on perimeter defense and a much better passer. And James has never exactly stuck himself. Daniel, then, is up against it.<br /><br />Seems the Sixers are really targeting their athletes right here, by the way.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2005"><b><font size="3">Jamelle Hagins</font></b></a> - Hagins was in summer league last season with the Nets, but that was as good as his first professional season got. He started the season with Roanne in France, but averaged only 3.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 9 games (taking one foul shot in that time), then returned to America and joined the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he averaged 5.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 3.0 fouls in 16 minutes of 22 games. Hagins has developed a fairly solid frame over time that he still chooses not to use on offense, settling for mid-range jumpshots and moving screens, and while his main virtue comes from his defense and rim protection, he cannot seem to do it without fouling. At 6'9 and 235, Hagins has the right frame for a power forward, has clearly defined strengths and weaknesses, and is certainly a talented and willing shot blocker. But he needs more discipline for it to be worth anything.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2246"><b><font size="3">Melvin Ejim</font></b></a> - Ejim scored a lot of points as a senior, including his 48 point outing versus TCU that got so much publicity. He is an explosive athlete who catches and finishes, spots up, finishes with authority, runs the floor and dunks as much as he can. He finishes high percentage looks, utilises a runner when driving and makes them appear through his physical tools. Ejim creates little in the post, utilising only fairly rudimentary footwork and having no touch, but he can always go over and finish with authority given half a yard.<br /><br />Inadvertently, however, that 48 point outing also highlighted some of the flaws in his game. Ejim shot 20-24 from that night, which is brilliant, but there were only two three point attempts and six foul shoots on the way. It mattered not on that night, obviously, but he needs more of those and fewer twos. Ejim recognises this and is developing the three point stroke, hitting 34.7% of them last season in his first year of taking quite a lot of them and it needs to continue. <br /><br />If it does, Ejim has a chance of making it as a small forward. At 6'6 and 220, this is how it's going to have to be. As of right now, Ejim is more of a face-up four, a very good rebounder for height but with little handle, high turnovers born out of his attempts to handle it anyway, and still working on his perimeter instincts. He runs some pick and roll, which is helpful, but through body type alone, small forward is the best bit. His rebounding will be a big advantage at that position, and while his perimeter defense is largely untested, he demonstrated a good motor that ought combine with his physical tools that make him projectable on that end. Can he further improve the shot, manage what Marcus Landry never quite did and stick around? Possibly. Maybe he ought go to the D-League and prove it.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2042"><b><font size="3">Pierre Jackson</font></b></a> - The Sixers acquiired Jackson's draft rights on draft night for those of <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1986"><b>Russ Smith</b></a>, which is odd, because Jackson is better. Last season in the D-League, he proved he was hardy, fearless and extremely productive, averaging 29.1 points per game (second only to <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1319"><b>Manny Harris</b></a>) alongside 6.2 assists in 40.9 minutes a game. He showed he could shoot over anyone, get to the rim against anyone, make tough ones, create his own shot, and change a game with his offensive output. And yes, of course he is small. That doesn't change what he did and doesn't change what he could go on to do as much as we might think. He's a scorer, and he can do that anywhere. Anyone who tries to change his game so as to shore up his 6.2/4.0 assist to turnover ratio runs the significant risk of taking Jackson away from his strengths. He's a scorer and he's 5'10. Come to peace with them both because he cannot change either.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-60376879816977371982014-07-04T05:20:00.001+01:002014-07-04T16:58:13.955+01:002014 Summer League Rosters - Orlando <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2250"><b><font size="3">Kadeem Batts</font></b></a> - Batts is somewhere in between <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1378"><b>Mike Davis</b></a> and <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1858"><b>Mike Scott</b></a>. He is a wiry strong finesse power forward whose game is based around the mid-range jumpshot and who rarely creates. Be it through the pick and pop, the pick and roll, cuts to the basket or through running the court in transition, Batts generally only finishes looks others or opportunity created for him. Even when he posts, it is normally only to a jumpshot. He has the frame to do more in the paint, but not the game. He's a finesse player who will take some contact, but hasn't that much power. He just is. So be it.<br /><br />On the glass, Batts uses his activity and length to keep balls alive and is a good offensive rebounder for this reason, but is less effective on the defensive glass where he can be outfought. Similarly, he defends the perimeter well, but is not much of a rim protector. He struggles to do much in the post on both ends when up against players of true size, and though he anticipates well and hedges hard, he has not the power of a power position player. Batts has good speed and a good motor, and can seal and finish down low on smaller opponents, but there aren't going to be smaller opponents at the highest levels. And while he can occasionally spot up from three and drive the ball from the line, he can also barrel people over and has yet to add consistent three point range.<br /><br />What separates Mike Davis and Mike Scott? Scott is smarter, tougher, competes defensively even when overmatched and has a little bit of three point range. Batts ought channel some of this. He could make the league despite his rebounding and his defensive deficiencies, just as Scott has, if he can make enough shots. Scott is learning the three. Batts must too.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1323"><b><font size="3">Matt Bouldin</font></b></a> - Four years after his first summer league, Bouldin is back for more. He spent last year in the D-League, and after starting the season so far down the L.A. D-Fenders's bench that he could hardly get a minute, he got free and pretty much evenly split the season between the Delaware 87ers and Fort Wayne Mad Ants, guard-starved teams that gave him free reign to create offense. Bouldin responded to the tune of as-near-as-was 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game, shooting 37% from three point range alongside 1.5 steals a contest. And if that looks pretty much identical to his numbers as a senior, that s not a coincidence. The slow ball-dominant high IQ good passing good shooting sorta-combo guard has battled injuries as a pro and has not been able to expand his game, but last year gave him the opportunity to prove he was healthy. He also proved he was still good. But not NBA good.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1265"><b><font size="3">Seth Curry</font></b></a> - Steph's brother had multiple NBA looks last season, including one game each with both the Grizzlies and the Cavaliers. Reportedly, he turned down the contract <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1430"><b>Scotty Hopson</b></a> later <a href="http://www.thescore.com/nba/news/469083" target=_blank>mistakenly received</a> - either Cleveland didn't offer him the same deal that Hopson eventually got and that information was wrong, or Curry made a grave error. Between NBA contracts, Curry spent the season with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the D-League and averaged 20.4 points and 5.7 assists in 45 games, shooting 37.8% from three point range. He certainly plays like big bro. But he has not that talent level. Given the opportunity in the D-League to show he was more than just the shooter he had been at Duke, Curry did so, but he still nevertheless showed he was mostly just a shooter. And at his height, he's going to have to be an even better one to make it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2085"><b><font size="3">Dewayne Dedmon</font></b></a> - Dedmon signed about thirty five contracts last year and eventually wound up signing with the Magic through 2016. He is a fairly unique player, a prolific rebounder and decent defensive presence in the lane who takes quite a lot of mid-range jumpshots offensively, a factor of the game at which he continues to improve. His frame, mobility and hugely long arms were built to play the NBA pivot position, and Lord knows he can do for years if he can rein in the fouls and mistakes a bit. Dedmon's contract is unguaranteed for both this year and next, but given how Orlando is in the midst of a rebound, they ought stick with Dedmon and see what develops. They will not likely find a better centre prospect elsewhere.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2318"><b><font size="3">Asauhn Dixon-Tatum</font></b></a> - Dixon-Tatum was covered at length in the 2014 NCAA senior centres round-up. <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/06/centers.html#asauhndixontatum">Click here.</a> Spoilers: He's not a better NBA centre prospect than DeWayne Dedmon, but he is kinda fun.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1859"><b><font size="3">Kim English</font></b></a> - Dixon fell out of the NBA last year and initially went to Italy, where he joined one time powerhouse and now bankrupt fourth divisioners Siena. After their Euroleague exit, English moved to France and played the rest of the season with Roanne, for whom he averaged 11.2 points in 26.4 minutes for the remainder of the season. English can still score without the ball in his hands much, no doubt, but he also still needs to prove he has that NBA range, shooting only 34.5% from three in the French league. His jumpshooting peers can, so he must.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2229"><b><font size="3">Aaron Gordon</font></b></a> - I love Aaron Gordon. He could be the second best player in this draft class. So much has been made of his athletic abilities prior to and since the draft that it obscures his skills. Particularly his defensive ones, which are so very good for a freshman.<br /><br />Gordon is an athlete, a passer, a defender and finisher. He is a high IQ player with some holes in his skillset but nothing he can't work out. On the defensive end of the floor, he is so advanced for his age. Gordon steps up well on D, steps out well on D, and demonstrates great discipline and good effort to go along with his length and speed. He rotates well, makes few mistakes, reads well, takes charges and has the length to block his man. He stays home, not biting on too many fakes, and recovers when he needs to. Combined his timing and anticipation with his activity on the glass, and you have yourself a defensive presence. Add a little strength, and you have yourself an NBA defensive presence.<br /><br />The offensive end is a little far behind, but even there, Gordon showcases one skill that just can't be taught - his passing game. Gordon is a tremendous interior passer, so much so that he's even run a pick and roll as the ball handler on occasion. He passes on the move better than pretty much every other big man in the game, can hit a cutter when facing up on the perimeter, and can kick it back out when down in the post. His individual offense is a work in progress - most significantly, Gordon is a God awful free throw shooter who is fouled a lot accordingly, not with the worst form in the world but with hands that could probably use a little realignment. He has no go-to move, though he does like a little floater when on the drive and shoots jumpshots better than his foul shots suggest. The handle is not especially smooth and the post-up play limited, but Gordon will at least run the court and dive to open spots to get looks, and he finishes well. <br /><br />Some of the skills need developing, but some are already so developed. Gordon has the body type, size, length, bounce, second jumpability, defense, IQ and potential to be one of the best at his position. I will be sad if he doesn't because I'm all in on this one.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2337"><b><font size="3">Luke Hancock</font></b></a> - Hancock, who will join the team for the Vegas summer league only, was profiled in the <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/07/2014-summer-league-rosters-houston.html">Rockets summer league roster roundup.</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1805"><b><font size="3">Cameron Jones</font></b></a> - Jones is a testament to the fact that the Development League really can be used to develop your game. He has put in three seasons there now and has become a go-to scorer, averaging 20.2 points on 46.5% shooting and 40.8% from three point range, throwing in 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on the way. He always was a good scorer, both in his previous two years and his collegiate career, but he has taken it to the next level, mostly through the addition of the three pointer. Always a good mid-range shooter, Jones added the range, and with that comes efficiency and output. These things complementing his high IQ game, good athleticism and solid man to man defense, he is now on the cusp of the NBA. And if he doesn't make it this time, it's probably time he left the D-League and starts drawing in the big paychecks that he can.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1611"><b><font size="3">Vernon Macklin</font></b></a> - Macklin is two years removed from the NBA, and has been on a tour. He has played in Turkey, the D-League, the Philippines and China's secondary league, and does the same thing in all of them. He pushes, he bruises, he drops righty hooks from the post, he never leaves the paint, and he fouls. Macklin is 27 years old and slightly undersized for the centre spot that his groundedness and reliance on the post demand he play. Lacking finesse, skill, a foul stroke, rim protection despite his long wingspan, and three inches of height, he is not likely to make it back to the big leagues. But old school post bruisers are always needed somewhere else.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2120"><b><font size="3">Josh Magette</font></b></a> - Magette (pronounced Ma Jet, not the same as <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=165"><b>Corey Maggette</b></a>) made the Grizzlies summer league team in 2012 after finishing up a senior season at Division 2 Alabama-Huntsville in which he averaged 12.7 points, 8.9 assists and 2.7 steals per game. He spent the first year of his professional career in Holland and then spent last year with the L.A. D-Fenders of the D-League, averaging 10.4 points, 6.9 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.6 turnovers per game, shooting 38% from three. Magette, clearly, is a pass first point guard. He keeps the dribble alive, dribbles with no flair but no danger, executes simple passes routinely and makes scant few mistakes. He also takes few risks, rarely probing beyond the first line of the defense and very rarely foraying in the paint, dribbling back out quite often when he does. Magette's physical profile is very unfavourable for the highest levels of basketball, a 6'1 point guard with short arms, no speed and no explosion, but he has a lot of IQ and headiness that make him likeable. He plays within his significant limitations and betters any offense with his decision making and jumpshot from both mid and long range, both off the catch and off the dribble. But given that he can neither create his own shot nor defend his position with any physicality, relying upon his hands and reads only, and is merely a decent jumpshooter, he is probably right where he is.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2266"><b><font size="3">Roy Devyn Marble</font></b></a> - <br /><br />Marble is an unconventional guard, a 6'6 off guard with point guard tendencies who relies on IQ and versatility rather than any explosive. Save for a mediocre free throw stroke and a tendency to drift at times, he contributes a bit of everything and has no glaring weaknesses. A much improved long range shooter and defender, Marble is much more efficient than his 42% field goal shooting suggests due to the high volume of threes he takes (albeit at only 34%) and the high number of times he gets to the foul line. He has added range to his mid range jumpshot and the ability to create spacing for the jumper with a step-back, jab steps and a pull-up, as well as shooting off curls.<br /><br />Without the speed to collapse a defense on the regular, Marble finds seams using his body control and will take contact at the basket. He is not an especially good finisher at the rim, but he will get to the line as much as he can. Marble spends more of his time playing more away from the rim and using screens, either as the curler around them or when calling for ball screens when serving as the primary ballhandler, as he can occasionally do. When running the offense, Marble plays the pick and roll well and demonstrates solid vision and decision making - he will never be a lead guard at this level, but it helps. And defensively, while Marble is still prone to reaching in and gambling for steals rather than moving his feet, caught looking in help defense situations all too readily, he is improved in man to man defense and uses his size to deny passes.<br /><br />This all sounds a bit like Matt Bouldin, admittedly. But he's slightly bigger, slightly faster and slightly better. Which suffices.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2009"><b><font size="3">Victor Oladipo</font></b></a> - As customary as it is for rookies to attend summer league no matter how high they were drafted, there doesn't seem to be any great reason for Oladipo to be here. Maybe it's just to get familiar with Payton and Gordon, in which case they might as well have sent <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1566"><b>Nikola Vucevic</b></a> here as well. Nevertheless, congratulations to Orlando for drafting the second best player in two consecutive drafts. Maybe.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2050"><b><font size="3">Romero Osby</font></b></a> - After being cut by the Magic last training camp, Osby is back for a second go, despite the power forward spot he plays being even fuller than it was last time with the addition of Gordon and the breakout of the sneakily good <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1862"><b>Kyle O'Quinn</b></a>. In the year hence, he has been in the D-League with the Maine Red Claws, where his task was to rein in his mistake making. He failed. Although he poured in 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in only 27 minutes a game, there were also 3.3 fouls and 2.8 turnovers per game in that time. A quality offensive talent, Osby still does not know how to use what he has. He can use summer league as an opportunity to showcase what he does have, at least, as well as prove his return to health after season ending shoulder surgery in January.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2296"><b><font size="3">Elfrid Payton</font></b></a> - The Magic traded the rights to <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2230"><b>Dario Saric</b></a> at #12, a future second round pick, and a future first round pick (sort of) in order to get Payton at #10. They then waived <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=296"><b>Jameer Nelson</b></a>, partly to save some money, but in doing so opening up the point guard spot for Payton to play as much as he can/ And they even went as far as to waive Nelson's backup, Ronnie Price. The keys are with Payton and Oladipo. No pressure, then.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2314"><b><font size="3">Kendrick Perry</font></b></a> - Perry dragged Youngstown State to respectability pretty much single handedly for the last three seasons and ranked amongst the best scorer and steals-racker-uppers in the country. He is a 6'0 guard that plays mostly off the ball as a secondary creator, with a want and need to primarily score first, but this does not make him a chucker. Indeed, Perry probably could have played full time point (and likely will do from here on out), having evidenced decent passing vision and decision making in the halfcourt, playing some pick and roll at times and feeding the post quite well for one so small. He is extremely dynamic in the full court, going as far as to run on makes, and certainly wouldn't struggle with that part, either.<br /><br />As a scorer, Perry uses his great speed and explosion to constantly attack the basket. He is a leaper given the opportunity, and is willing to throw himself at the basket to take the contact, struggling to finish over size yet not letting this stop him from trying. This is not a reckless style of play, though - Perry is very efficient from the field and commits few turnovers, and picks his spots in a timely, high IQ fashion. On his drives to the rim, Perry is driving to score not to kick, yet he gets there consistently with his speed, agility, spin moves and body control. He splits double teams, drives with both hands, attacks closeouts, and finds it easy to get to the rim if the defense is not fully set. In terms of shotmaking, Perry has added a runner over time, and while the jumpshot is not the biggest part of his offensive arsenal, it is decent enough. Perry jumps high on the jumpshot, shoots off the dribble and around screens, can stop on a dime for a pull-up two, and although he shoots slightly on the way down at times hits enough jumpshots to open up the drive. No one part of the jumpshot game is as good s the drive, but it's good enough, and when combined with his defensive effort and great hands make for an effective, controlled two-way pest of a guard.<br /><br />Very solid all-around player, then. He'll even do his turn on the rebounding glass. But also a very small and unproven one. This should be a nice measuring stick for him.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Augustine Rubit</font></b> - Rubit is a 24 year old 6'6 front court player who turns 25 next month. For all those things to be true and for him to still be here in an NBA summer league coached by NBA personnel means he must be must be pretty good. And he is, in a couple of ways. Rubit is a very good rebounder and aggressive if scrappy offensive player who has the size, athleticism and long arms of a small forward, but who has hitherto been a power forward. He tried to adapt his game to suit his professional projection as a senior, most notably hitting 21 three pointers on the season after none combined in his previous three years, and slashing to the rim as ever without forgetting to use his length, reach and motor to attack the glass and defend the paint. However, mostly untested in his perimeter defense thus far, Rubit might have too much still to prove. It is nice for a player from such a tough background to make it as far as he has, but it will be very difficult to make the final leap into the NBA. Yet if he is prepared to tour the world for a few years, he has plenty of money to make.<br /><br />Incidentally, Rubit's Jaguars profile lists his hobbies as <a href="http://usajaguars.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=4946" target=_blank>"hanging out, playing basketball and talking with his girlfriend".</a> There's a lot going on there.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2108"><b><font size="3">Scott Suggs</font></b></a> - Suggs spent last year in the D-League with the Erie BayHawks and showed the continued expansion of his game that has been going on for the last three years. He is still best known and most effective as a catch-and-shoot player, as evidenced by the 40.3% three point shooting on a high volume of attempts, but he has improved at turning those three point attempts into high percentage two point jumpshots. He is still not effective nor predisposed at forays all the way to the rim, limiting himself to pickig his spots in that regard, but he is diversifying the game beyond the catch and shoot to incorporate some off the dribble. Smooth and agile if slender and a bit soft, Suggs is a high IQ and efficient offensive weapon. But he needs to prove he can defend the position.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Darrius Williams</font></b> - Williams is an extremely random choice for summer league, a 6'4 wing player from Division 2 Morehouse who left school last year and was most recently found playing in the UBA with the Georgia Spartans. As a senior, he averaged 18.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists, and hit zero three pointers on the way. He is a former football player who is built like one, and who lives to slash to the basket. Anything other than that would be mere guesswork.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3353849786108446272.post-35676580952302415452014-07-02T19:51:00.001+01:002014-07-02T20:06:30.634+01:002014 Summer League rosters - Houston<font size="3"><b>Miro Bilan</b></font> - The 6'11 Bilan turns 25 later this month, yet this is his first foray into the NBA. He has long been on the radar of clubs around the world, appearing in European championships at various age levels, and finally cracking the Croatian national team this past season. Bilan has never really broken out, however, merely making steady improvements to his game year on year. A brief spell in the Euroleague in 2012/13 coupled with a longer spell in the Eurocup last season to allow him to take on the best European centres at his position, and he held his own on the offensive end at least, where his post and pick-and-roll play helped him to 8.8 points in 18.4 minutes on 58% shooting, alongside 13.3 points in 22 minutes per game of Croatian league play. Bilan is a prototypical European big man - big enough and offensively skilled, but unathletic, and a defensive factor only by the virtue of giving a good hard foul. He can make shots around the basket and from mid-range, but neither his physical tools nor style of play are ideally suited for the NBA and he is probably best where he is. <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1827"><b>Greg Smith</b></a> admittedly played a bit like this while being slightly smaller, but Greg Smith was faster and had hands like mattresses. Or like Tim Howard.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2209"><b><font size="3">Tarik Black</font></b></a> - Black was covered emphatically in the 2014 NCAA Senior Centres round-up. <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/06/centers.html#tarikblack">Click here.</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1982"><b><font size="3">Jabari Brown</font></b></a> - Brown plays and photographs with a permanent look of insouciance. He never ever smiles, save for one time after a game winner. It does not undermine his skill set, but it would have helped his draft credentials a bit better had he looked like he was enjoying himself.<br /><br />Brown played alongside <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2338"><b>Earnest Ross</b></a> on Missouri's wings last season, where his role was not to chuck as much as Ross did. He is aggressive as a scorer, hunting his shot and taking plenty of them, but not an undue chucker, a player who will take some quick shots at times but not too egregiously. An excellent shooter who merits such looks, Brown shoots off the catch and off the dribble from both two and from three, shoots a pull-back, and can make jumpers off a spin move. His drives to the rim are a bit unceremonious at times, but they result in many fouls calls, as Brown is fully prepared to take the contact and finds plenty of ways to create scoring opportunities for himself. <br /><br />The downside unfortunately is that Brown cannot create for others at all. He only looks to score, and it is the only thing he is good at. Brown will occasionally throw a nice pass, but he does not feed the post, has little handle, and, on his rather wild forays to the rim, it is to shoot or get to the line, not to pass off. Brown is also a concern defensively - as evidenced by his exceedingly low foul rates, Brown does not always compete defensively, and lapses at times. And despite having a decent frame for the shooting guard position, Brown is not tall, long or elitely athletic, and thus has not the physical tools to make up for this coasting. He seeks only to score and can only be relied upon for such. It is fortunate then that the jumpshot is good enough to cure these ills.<br /><br />In a high tempo game where he can push the ball (which he loves to do), shoot quick and shoot often, Brown thrives. He's going to love summer league, then.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2293"><b><font size="3">Jahii Carson</font></b></a> - Carson plays big minutes of every game and dominates the ball throughout. He plays a lot of pick and roll action, and succeeds in it, even though he cannot drive left and even though he is usually using the screen to try and score. He is a committed and fearless driver who uses his hardiness, toughness, speed and tight low dribble to get into the paint, whereby he will use his body control to get a look around the basket, compensated with floaters and runners should he be smothered at the rim. Although Carson at a mere 5'11 does not take contact very well, he will take the contact anyway and try to finish, getting to the line a huge number of times per game, and is adept at jinking his body around anyone in his path. He often has to resort to contested runners, but he makes enough of them for this to be a weapon in the halfcourt. Also, given the opportunity, he can really get up.<br /><br />Underpinning all this however is a poor jumpshot, one born out of bad mechanics. Carson has improved his three point stroke to the point it can just about be classified as mediocre, but the mid-range shot is still absent, and the form is inconsistent. Carson tries to play like a shooter anyway, be it through step-backs and the like, but it is a weakness in his game, so much so that he is also a poor foul shooter (not helped by an unnecessarily leaning back on the release). He takes some bad shots, particularly bad jumpshots, and tries to play too much isolation ball, particularly down the stretch. The dribble is always alive with Jahii Carson, and he can drive right into and right out of the trees in a manner reminiscent of <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=57"><b>Kirk Hinrich's</b></a> younger days, but he primarily looks to score, drives into trouble, has no left hand, has not the greatest floor awareness (missing, or perhaps ignoring, better matchups elsewhere) and is not a good catch-and-shoot player off the ball. And defensively, he is just too small, bumped off the spot too easily and not seeing as committed on that end as on offense.<br /><br />As a point guard, Carson is always attacking and pushing the pace, but is nonetheless primarily a scorer. Give him a poorly communicated defense, and he will attack it. He too should love summer league, then. But going forward, while the athleticism and aggression are nice, there are too many question marks for the NBA.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2157"><b><font size="3">Chris Crawford</font></b></a> - Crawford was the fourth guard in Memphis's four guard lineup last season, and did a little bit of everything for the team. Best known as a shooting specialist, Crawford is a very good catch-and-shoot player who struggles much more when shooting off the bounce, but who can fill it up with the feet set. He also masquerades as an occasional point guard - Memphis were catered for in his position by <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2154"><b>Joe Jackson</b></a> and <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2155"><b>Michael Dixon</b></a> last season, but Crawford can fill in for possessions at a time, and was similarly relied upon for versatility defensively. Too often forced to guard bigger forwards and defend the paint, Crawford was never all that effective, given how easy his 6'4 frame was to shoot over, but he used his strength to body up as best he could, and win some occasional possessions with his anticipation. <br /><br />However, all language used above to indicate intermittent effectiveness is deliberate, because there is nothing profoundly secure about Crawford's production. His defense seems to be tied to his scoring output - when he's shooting well, he defends well, attacking the boards and competing on D. But when he's not, he will lazily reach, overplay the passing lanes, forgo the glass and close out slowly. Even when plugged in defensively, he is quite slow laterally, undersized and easily gotten around by opposing guards, so he needs maximum effort to compensate and it is not always there. This is not something that he phased out as an upperclassman, either - indeed, Crawford was arguably more liable to switch off and play soft as a senior than in any previous year. And he also seemed to get slightly stockier. On offense, Crawford's mid-range jumpshot is nice, but he won't use it, and despite his decent athleticism and solid enough handle, it is a wonder why he so often refuses to use them on the drive. It is not an especially nuanced handle, and Crawford rarely gets beyond the first line of the defense, instead racking up his assets from a willingness to pass and moving it around the perimeter. He never gets to the foul line, is not a speedster, heat checks too often, and does not even work as much off the ball as you would want a shooter to do.<br /><br />Crawford never improved a great deal in his time at Memphis. It is true that he didn't have to improve much to be a contributor, but it is a big hindrance at this next level. Crawford is an occasional shooter, occasional point, occasional ball handler and occasional defender who will be advertised as having defensive versatility, but he is also streaky, undersized, not hugely athletic and unassertive who never made himself all that reliable. It is not too late to start, but these ills will not be cured in or before summer league. <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1138"><b>Wayne Ellington</b></a> has a similar physical profile and skill set, but Ellington competes and moves off the ball.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2061"><b><font size="3">Troy Daniels</font></b></a> - Houston signed Daniels down the stretch of the season to a contract with a team option for 2014/15, and an actual team option for 2014/15, not an unguaranteed contract merely reported as one. They then declined it, which was expected considering their cap space aspirations, but they then extended Daniels a qualifying offer. Under the 2005 CBA, qualifying offers only had to be guaranteed for the same percentage of guarantee as the final season of the previous contract, but under the 2011 CBA, they have to be fully guaranteed regardless. So Daniels now has a $1,016,482 qualifying offer out to him that is fully guaranteed, that he can accept any time, that is his cap number, and that is twice the size of the $507,336 roster charge that Houston would have had had they declined the option and renounced his non-Bird rights. It is odd. If they wanted to retain him as a player, they could have exercised the option, had him enter the same restricted free agency next offseason and keep him dirt cheap in the interim, and while they could always rescind the QO if they needed to and maybe just extended it to keep his price competitively low should anyone come bidding, they could also have not taken the risk. It is odd, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/484122043110424576" target=_blank>especially given Daniels's number of suitors</a>. The Rockets will not have Bird rights on Daniels, remember, and will likely have to match with cap room or an exception, depending on the amount he signs for. Nevertheless, it is known what Daniels does - catches and shoots. And it works. And Houston seems to want him back. And that's all good. Although the predominance of shooting guards on this list might mean they are open to reason.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2270"><b><font size="3">Andre Dawkins</font></b></a> - Dawkins is a shooting specialist, a very good shooting specialist, and little else. And it took until he was a senior to even be consistently aggressive in taking shots.<br /><br />Off the ball, Dawkins puts in the work to get open. On the ball, he....well, he's never on it, so it's tough to say. Dawkins is very much a specialist - it's all jumpshots, and they're all off of other people's work. There is a floater in the lane every now and then, but it is rare, as are any two point field goals. And foul shots are rarer still. Dawkins passes little, and struggles to create his own shot, let alone for anyone else. On the defensive end, Dawkins has good size and has developed some strength (aided by having some extra pounds of fat that he shouldn't), and chases around off the ball, but is ineffective at keeping anyone in front of him. He is, then, pretty much as one dimensional as can be. It is his mercy then that he is big enough and good enough of a shooter to compete at any level. And at least he plays within the confines of his role.<br /><br />To be blunt, Dawkins benefits greatly from the name of the program from which he graduated. This is not to say his shot is not NBA calibre - it is. And he is just about big enough, if not overly athletic. But the NBA can afford to be picky, and must be considered highly likely to prioritise slightly lesser shooters with better defensive profiles to become their next three-and-D role players. The door is just about still open for Dawkins, but he might have to go through it the Troy Daniels way.<br /><br />Oh look, he's on the same team as Troy. What are the odds?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2337"><b><font size="3">Luke Hancock</font></b></a> - Hancock is <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/louisville/2014/04/09/luke-hancock-going-make-nba/7513417/" target=_blank>determined to make the NBA</a>. He was an excellent collegiate role player who did multiple things on successful teams, who does a bit of everything.<br /><br />Offensively, specifically as a scorer, Hancock mostly takes threes. He takes quite a lot of them, availed by the talent around him and Louisville's fast pace, casting up 5.5 per game in only 23 minutes. He also however only hit 34.5% of them, down from 39% as a junior, and much more in keeping with the numbers he shot on much lower usage with George Mason. The 39% is the outlier, not the 34.5% - Hancock, then, is a good but not great shooter. He however did pick up his percentages throughout the year, finishing the season well after being down to 24% on threes at one point while struggling with the adjustment to a new shooting technique, a technique that when honed will give him a quicker release with more arc, so there is potential for the uptick to sustain, even if the 34.5% suggests not. <br /><br />Elsewhere on offense, Hancock is an excellent passer, a very willing one and a good entry feeder who betters any offense he is in with heady, high IQ play. He is a crafty occasional right-hand-heavy driver with a solid handle, endlessly throwing fakes that always seem to get bites, an efficient offensive player despite his near-40% field goal shooting because of his high numbers of threes and foul shots. Without being all that explosive, Hancock can occasionally get up and is deceptively quick, and attacks the contact, even if he cannot finish through it. And defensively he plays well within the team concept and plays with effort, committing far too many fouls but not giving away anything for free.<br /><br />The NBA is still a big ask, as there is no one stand out skill. But <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1158"><b>Garrett Temple</b></a> and <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1288"><b>Antonio Anderson</b></a> made similar skillsets work. And they couldn't shoot at all.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2158"><b><font size="3">Geron Johnson</font></b></a> - Johnson was Crawford's team mate at Memphis for the last two years, and played off the ball just as much as he did in an entirely different way. The hallmarks of his game are playing hard and playing athletically, and he thrives on all the things those things avail. He runs the court, is always pushing the ball, and can drive to the rim and finish explosively. He really is a dynamic full court player, a tremendous rebounder for a 6'3 guard, and, at times, a quality defensive presence. Johnson's speed and hands make him a very capable defensive player of both guard positions when the tenacity is there (and it normally is, but there are lulls). Strong with a long wingspan and a great leap, Johnson's physical profile belies his lack of height for the two guard position, and yet he can also masquerade as a point, bringing the ball up when needed and a good extra passer, if not a defense collapser.<br /><br />All good so far. Sounds like the upcoming Chris Kramer if Kramer could do something with the ball, if he had longer arms, and if he was even more athletic. Indeed, Johnson shares Kramer's poor shooting ability, struggling with any form of jumpshot and yet not letting that stop him from trying them. The comparison goes further - Johnson struggles to create his jumpshots or any offense of his own, cannot shoot off the dribble at all and struggles with poor touch around the rim, but is a good extra passer and has good hands and drives open lanes. Johnson can split a double team and drive baseline in ways Kramer can't, but there are many similarities nonetheless. Yet what really separates them is Johnson's knack for turnovers, stemming from forcing the issue, not being able to dribble at the same speed as he can run, throwing the ball away and making too many poor decisions. Johnson makes much happen when he is on the court, but when he's on the ball, those things are all too often not good things.<br /><br />This all lends itself terrifically to a workout setting, and Johnson played himself into fringe NBA range in that period. But it may be as close as he gets.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2000"><b><font size="3">Nick Johnson</font></b></a> - Johnson put up ridiculous numbers at the combine, which cemented his already fairly well cemented draft prospects. Yet for all those measurements, he doesn't play in the overly athletic style of, say, Geron Johnson. Instead, Johnson picks his spots and uses more skill than physical tools, knowing they are in the back should he need them.<br /><br />Johnson is a fairly complete player on both ends. Defensively, he plays tenaciously, using his foot speed to stay in front of opposing guards and blessed with the ability to clean strip it from them. He moves quickly to recover and rotate, and plays strong help from the guard spot, going down to double cleanly and quickly and yet being adept enough to recover back should he need to. Better than the help is the man to man defense, where Johnson shone as one of the better man to man perimeter defenders in the country at either guard spot.<br /><br />Offensively, Johnson was also the Wildcats' highest scorer, doing so in a variety of ways. He is best as a slasher, attacking the rim with craft and guile, and, should he need it, that extra level of explosiveness. Given a clear lane to drive, he can get up and finish - given an unclear lane to drive, he can contort through the defense, use fakes and find seams. Johnson also does a good job on drive and kick action, and racks up decent assists totals despite only very occasional point guard turns. Johnson can also be run off the ball to spot up for jumpshots, and drive off of curls all the way to the rim, utilising a floater in the lane and finishing well for a smaller guy. He does not prioritise the jumpshot, but can still create ones for himself on occasion with step-back and crossover moves. Not isolating much, not the best three point shooter and not big enough to shoot over anyone on the perimeter, Johnson nevertheless maximises his offensive talents with judicious shot selection and high IQ, low mistake play.<br /><br />There are no big weaknesses to Johnson's game, unless we were to nitpick and say his height. It is the ideal point guard's body he plays in, but slightly too small for an NBA two. But let us not overevaluate that. Without ever really hitting dominant scoring stretches, and while not projecting quite so favourably on the defensive end at the NBA level due to said height, Johnson nonetheless just gets it done. And by "it" I mean a bit of everything. He's just good.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1516"><b><font size="3">Chris Kramer</font></b></a> - Kramer has long been in the NBA conversation, and has signed contracts with the Bucks in the past. It's been a while since then, 2010, although Kramer has done enough to keep himself on the NBA's radar in that time. On the face of it, it is hard to see why - a 6'3 26 year old defensive combo guard who can't shoot and has every single facet of his offensive game in question at this level. But then you see his athleticism, tenacity and relentless defensive pressure, and it starts to make some sense. Kramer keeps coming back because he is the type of player a coach wants to coach, and the kind of player a team so badly wishes its projectable 6'7 long and athletic wings would channel. But Kramer can never be a 6'7 long and athletic wing, and so it will never work out. Mind you, he's got more chance than <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1712"><b>Aaron Craft</b></a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=1011"><b><font size="3">Maarty Leunen</font></b></a> - Leunen is something of a forgotten man from an NBA perspective, but is a fixture in Italy, where he has spent the last five years. In each of those last five years, he has shot better than 40% from three, save for one season at 39.6% to which we'll grant a mulligan. Leunen is not aggressive with this shot - last season for Cantu, he scored only 7.2 points in 31 minutes per game. He also only rebounded for 5.4 per game in that same time, a very poor return for a 6'9 starting power forward, and barely shot more than one free throw per contest. Leunen is about as unpowerful as a 'power' forward can be. But what he does do is take his unathletic face-up game and make the best of it, shooting timely shots, moving the ball around, passing very well, occasionally driving, and so often making the right place. This does not lend itself too well to an NBA which, much as it likes a good stretch four these days, requires its stretch fours to actually hunt and take shots. But at least it is pleasingly different from all the things summer league is normally known for.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2278"><b><font size="3">Jermaine Marshall</font></b></a> - Marshall has a pretty ideal profile for a high quality European import off the ball player. Playing alongside Jahii Carson, Marshall was all the things Carson wasn't - efficient, low usage, fairly big, playing off the ball. He could actually stand to do this last thing a little better, as he is a very good catch and shoot player, yet he does not put in as much movement off the ball as he ought. Nevertheless, he affected the game through his scoring without doing so because of excessive touches.<br /><br />Marshall will occasionally be called upon to run a pick and roll play, but is mostly a jumpshooter. His shot selection is fairly good, save for the occasional bad one, yet that was partly due to the nature of the team's style. When slashing, he demonstrates a sneaky hesitation dribble and can finish with a floater, yet this is not a part of his game he favours. Rather than attack the basket or the shotblocker, Marshall prefers to shoot, and the jumpshot is the biggest part of his arsenal. Its efficiency is also currently a one year outlier, which is mildly uneasy. Nevertheless, Marshall showed last year that he can score, he will score, and he can be an effective and efficient weapon on medium usage. Defensively, Marshall plays hard and contests even when beaten, with long arms and anticipation and a consistent defensive effort, all of which overcome a lack of ideal size. He is not standing out in this facet of the game, but he is not sitting down either. And he'll take a charge when he can.<br /><br />At times, he gets wild, and there is no one amazingly strong facet of the game. But Marshall is versatile and efficient, doing a bit of everything. This is always marketable. NBA? Probably not. But certainly somewhere.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2244"><b><font size="3">Akil Mitchell</font></b></a> - As a senior, Mitchell completely lost the free throw stroke he had built up to mediocrity as a junior, and his 42.7% shooting from there made him a liability. He rushes the release on the shot and snatches aggressively at it, and has absolutely no rhythm on it nor any jumpshot. Given what an offensive liability he became from the line, this also affected his minutes, and as good as Virginia was last season, Mitchell had to watch some of it from the bench, averaging only 25.7 minutes per game.<br /><br />Mitchell nonetheless played a big role for the Cavaliers, mostly defensively and on the glass. He is a good leaper with a high motor, who returns a very good rebounding rate and embraces his role as a dirty worker. He uses this motor in a similar fashion on the defensive end, where, despite an average amount of lateral quickness that his jumping ability rather masks, and despite a lack of optimum size for post defense, he nevertheless contests on everything. Mitchell hedges hard on pick and roll actions and can stay in front of driving big men, but he can be blown past on closeouts given that he does not change direction too quickly, and sometimes those pick and roll hedges are a little too hard. He nonetheless moves his feet as best he can, has some shot blocking timing around the rim, and is a nuisance defensively if not a lock-down player at any position.<br /><br />There is occasionally some offense from Mitchell, who is not <a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=369"><b>Reggie Evans</b></a> out there. He runs the court hard and can finish around the rim if set up, throwing a little spin to a righty hook if impeded and going straight up if not. He has not the best footwork, has very little handle, has even littler of a jumpshot and travels a bit, but his sprightliness and cuts to open spots give him a purpose offensively, and he stays within that role. Players who recognise their limitations and play within them are always fun to be coached, and Mitchell is so capable of and willing to embrace his interior role playing status that he has made it all the way up to this level. But at 6'8 and 230lbsish, anything further is a long shot.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2222"><b><font size="3">Omar Oraby</font></b></a> - Oraby was covered emphatically in the 2014 NCAA Senior Centres round-up. <a href="http://www.shamsports.com/2014/06/centers.html#omaroraby">Click here.</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2243"><b><font size="3">Richard Solomon</font></b></a> - Solomon never developed all that much offensively in his career at Cal, but is a tremendous rebounder and sometime defensive pest who somehow does it all without looking like he is trying all that hard. That is not to say that he isn't, save for some defensive lapses, and he is especially active on the glass. Sometimes, though, that activity is tied to his scoring output. If he's not scoring, he's not fighting. For the most part, though, Solomon boxes out on the glass and uses his height and length to clean up loose balls in and around his area. He is mobile and athletic, if a bit thin, and is also a weakside shotblocking presence on the interior. Solomon fouls a lot and can be pushed out of position all too easily, but he is long if not strong and pursues the ball, improving throughout his Cal tenure as the back piece of the zone.<br /><br />Offensively, Solomon is a finisher, not a creator. His athleticism allows him some looks at the basket and the occasional ugly drive to the rim, but he has poor touch on pretty much every type of shot, and especially struggles to finish against strength. He does however use his mobility well to dive to open spots and run the court in transition, and makes enough mid-range jumpshots, putbacks and wild flails to make defenders at least play him. In the post, Solomon rather premeditates his moves instead of reading and reacting, and is not consistent down there, save for his consistent desire to go to his right hand, but he can nevertheless be effective through the length alone on his occasional post-ups, and utilises a spin move to a righty hook and reasonable footwork. Coupled with the occasional mid-range jumpshot, and even the very occasional turnaround from the post, Solomon is a passable offensive player, if highly unpolished.<br /><br />Can he make it in the NBA on the rebounding alone? Probably not at a thin 6'10, no. But summer league is not just an NBA audition, and Solomon will no doubt be in Israel or something soon.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://data.shamsports.com/content/pages/playerProfiles/profileDisplay.jsp?id=2491"><b><font size="3">Chris Udofia</font></b></a> - Udofia puts up highly entertaining stat lines, especially from a player standing only 6'6. He averaged 2.2 blocks and 1.5 steals per game on the defensive end, 12.0 points and 3.9 assists per game on the offensive end, and 5.3 rebounds per game in between. This somehow put him in the top 100 in the nation in both blocks and assists per game. And that fact is magnetic.<br /><br />Denver struggled badly to score, which worked for and against Udofia. Their lack of shot creation and scoring let him play a point forward role, and he led the team in assists, but he also has a poor jumpshot of his own and couldn't answer their need for a primary scorer. He is a sharer of the ball without the handle to create the assists are more from him being easily the best talent on the team rather than because he is a primary playmaking option. Nonetheless, Udofia plays both posts and is a good passer from either, playing both halves of the pick and roll at times.<br /><br />Physically, Udofia is a very good athlete, an NBA calibre one in an NBA's body. A dunker who will run when he can, Udofia figures to have no problem defending the small forward position, despite playing a lot of power forward to date. He moves well laterally and has the length and anticipation to be a disruptive presence in help defense situations, while also being a committed man to man defender. If he could shoot, this would be a quality three-and-D candidate. But the shot is a problem. He's going to have to defend perfectly to overcome the lack of it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><font size="3">Pendarvis Williams</font></b> - Penny worked out for the Rockets before the draft, fresh off of a senior season at Norfolk State in which he averaged 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The 6'6, 195lbs combo guard has a good frame for the NBA wing position and is a decent enough athlete, and plays good defense at the position. His 35.5% three point shooting as a senior was lower than the near 40% he shot in the previous three years, and, capable of taking over the point guard duties in a pinch, is a very versatile player who contributes in all facets. Williams is not an offensive creator and does not do much with the ball inside the arc, but he plays accordingly, shoots 49% from the field, and is a projectable under-the-radar role player who should make his money somewhere.Mark Deekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06537955975484035702noreply@blogger.com2